text: theproposed programme budgetofUNCTADrecalled thattheWorking Partyonthe Medium-term PlanandtheProgramme BudgetoftheTradeandDevelopment Boardhad reviewed theprogramme budgetthoroughly atitsninthsession (15-19April1985). ThereportoftheWorking Party(TD/B/WP(IX)/Misc.2), including itsAgreed Conclusions, wasbeforetheCommittee. Hestatedthatthedecline of0.2percent inrealtermsenvisaged intheproposed programme budgetforUNCTADwasnotmatched byadecline initsworkload. Thisimposed theobligation onthesecretariat to useitslimitedstaffresources flexibly, especially'with regardtocross-sectoral issuesandthepreparations fortheseventh session ofUNCTAD, andtoabsorb additional taskswithintheavailable resources. AProgramme Co-ordination and Evaluation Unithadalready beenestablished through theredeployment ofstafffrom otherareas. Aninternal process hadbeenlaunched toreviewtheworkprogramme of UNCTADwithaviewtoidentifying, withintheframework ofexisting legislative mandates, areasofmajoremphasis intheperiodahead,particularly thatleading up totheseventh session. Inaddition, thestructure ofthesecretariat wasbeing examined withaviewtoadapting itbettertothesubstantive tasksenvisaged in theworkprogramme. TheAgreedConclusions oftheWorking Partyhadre-echoed the needforflexibility intheuseofUNCTADstaffresources toenableittorespond bettertonewmandates andpriorities. 2.Discussion 293.Several delegations deplored thedecline of0.2percentintheproposed bUdgetforUNCTADandarguedthatsuchadecline wouldadversely affectthe activities ofUNCTAD anditscapacity toLKecuteitsmandates. Thosedelegations expressed theirconcern thattheUNCTADsecretariat mighthavebeenundersome constraint tofollow a"zero-growth" budgetandemphasized thatnosuchdirectives hadeverbeencontained inanyresolution oftheGeneral Assembly. Inviewofthe increasing mandates received bytheUNCTADsecretariat andofthestatement in paragraph 15.4ofsection 15thattheworkwouldbeimplemented withsomeminor adjustments tothelevelofavailable resources, thosedelegations wondered whether theprogramme activities proposed hadbeenfullycosted. 294.Onedelegation wasoftheopinion thattheproposals represented three positive aspects: theprincipal activities didnotgobeyondthedecisions of UNCTADintergovernmental organs; theproposed programme budgetinvolved adecrease inresources; anditmarked atrendtowards redeployment. Ontheotherhand,the samedelegation notedalackofco-ordination amongthevarious programmes anda largedependence onconsultants. Itfurther statedthattherewasaneedtoavoid duplication asregards programmes andtomakefurther savings onconsultants; in addition, sincesomeoftheproposed expenditures wereconditional ontheconvening ofexpertgroups,itshould bemadeclearthat,shouldthosemeetings nottake place,theresources involved wouldnotbeused.Another delegation saidthatin several casesmandates hadbeenanticipated andsuggested that,inviewofthe -55-programmatic provision fortheconvening oftheseventh session ofUNCTADin1987, someoftheresources required forpre-conference meetings couldbeoffsetby economies fromactivities notundertaken because ofthosepreparations. Other delegations expressed satiefaction withtheexamination oftheproposed programme budgetbytheWorking PartyoftheTradeandDevelopment Board. 295.Another delegation saidthat,despite theredeployment ofsixpostsinthe proposed program~ budget, redeployment amongprogrammes wasnon-existent; some programmes, suchasthoseonmanufactures andsemi-manufactures andleast developed, land-locked andislanddeveloping countries, werestillshortof resources whileothersapparently hadmorestaffthanwasnecessary tofulfiltheir mandates. TheAgreedCOnclusions oftheWorking Partyenvisaged consideration of thoseissues. Thesamedelegation recalled that,atthemeeting oftheWorking Party,theUNCTADsecretariat hadstatedthat,incaseanticipated mandates didnot materialize, theresources thusreleased wouldbeusedbythesameprogramme for otheractivities. Thedelegation arguedthat,insuchcases,theresources should bemadeavailable forUNCTADasawhole. 296.Somedelegations expressed theviewthatsection 15oftheproposed programme budgetshouldbesentbacktoUNCTADtobereviewed inaccordance withtheviews expressed bylegislative bodiesandmemberStates. Inthisconnection, some delegations pointed outthatthesection waspartoftheSecretary-General's proposed programme budgetandthatitwastheCommittee's ~andate toconsider it. Somedelegations saidthatinanybudgetary processitwaslogical andnormalto askformaximum restraint, theproposals werewell-balanced andwell-programmed and
analysis: The text discusses the proposed programme budget of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which suggests that the category should be related to international trade and economic development. The text also mentions the need for flexibility in the use of staff resources, redeployment of staff, and consideration of new mandates and priorities, which implies that the category should be related to international organizations and their administration.