text: Secra 18.6Asshownintable18.5,iftheSecretary-Generalis proposals areall approved, theregular budgetstaffing establishment forUNEPin1986-1987 will total106established posts,comprising 46intheProfessional category andabove (1USG,2ASG,40-2,40-1,13 P-5,14P-4,5P-3and3P-2/l), sixintheGeneral Service category (including 1attheprincipal level)and54LOcallevelposts. Therewouldalsobe313extrabudgetary postscomprising 102intheProfessional category andabove(1ASG,70-2,80-1,20P-S,25P-4,33P-3and8P-2/l), 11in theGeneral Service category (including oneattheprincipal level), and200Local levelposts. Thetotalstaffing establishment forUNEPtherefore wouldamountto 419posts. 18.7Inparagraph 18.34oftheestimates, theSecretary-General justifies the reclassification ofthepostofChief, NewYorkLiaison Office, from0-1to0-2by indicating thatthiswould"putthepostonthesamelevelastheextrabudgetary postsoftheheadsofthefiveregional offices ofUNEP". The'Advisory Committee soughtadditional information onthecomparative functions andresponsibilities of theheadsoftheUNEPLiaison OfficeatNewYorkandthefiveregional offices. Duringitsconsideration ofthisproposal, theCommittee alsotookintoaccount theI,, ...,t\:-104- __J,L:L:·L~.J_.lsof ~d toa the I:he would :>mmon 9 rence rogramme .11 above General ;ts. >nal I,11in )Local mtto I:he D-2by etary llIittee I:iesof ::es. :>untthefunctions andgrading ofotherliaison postsintheunitedNations, aswellasthe ~ctthattheposthadnotbeenreclassified atthehigherlevelbytheOfficeof personnel Services. 18.8Onthebasisoftheinformation provided, theCommittee isnotconvinced that thereclassification ofthispostiswarranted andtherefore recommends thatthe secretary-General's request forboththereclassification andthecorresponding representation allowance notbeapproved. Theconsequential reduction iathe secretary-General's estimate wouldbe$14,900. 18.9Inparagraph 18.47oftheestimates, theSecretarY-General proposes to transfer aP-5postintheDesertification BranchfromtheEnvironment Fund's PPSC budgetto·theregular budgetoftheUnitedNations. Inthisconnection, representatives oftheFundandoftheSecretary-General informed theCommittee thatithadoriginally beenforeseen thatUNDP,UNFPAandotheragencies would provide support totheDesertification Branch. However, because offinancial difficulties, thissupport wasdiscontinued andUNEPhasbornethecostofsix professional postsrelated toDesertification activities fromitsPPSCbudget. In thecircumstances, theSecretary-General requests thetransfer ofonepost,the incumbent ofwhichwould,interalia,actasSecr~tary oftheInter-agency Working GrouponDesertification, established pursuant totheGeneral Assembly's approval initsresolution 32/172ofthereportoftheUnitedNations Conference on Desertification. 14/ 18.10Duringitsconsideration oftheproposed transfer, theAdvisory Committee recalled thatbyitsresolution 32/172theGeneral Assembly approved notonlythe reportoftheUnitedNations Conference onDesertification, butalsoendorsed in principle thecreation ofaspecial account withintheUnitedNations toimplement thePlanofActiontoCombatDesertification. Underthetermsofthesame resolution, theGoverning Council ofUNEPwasinvited toarrange thepreparation by asmallgroupofspecialists ofastudyofadditional measures tofinance the implementation ofthePlanofAction. 18.11Inhisreportontheestablishment andoperation ofthespecial account, submitted totheGeneral Assembly atitsthirty-third session (A/33/77) the Secretary-General notedtl)attheestablishment oftheaccount would"notinvolve theestablishment ofanynewinstitutions orspecial administrative machinery" and thattherecommendations inthereportcarried "nofinancial implications forthe UnitedNations budget" (ibid.,para.16).TheSecretary-General recommended that contributions totheFuna-n5hou1d bereceived onlyifthey[were]consistent with thepolicies, aimsandactivities oftheUnitedNations and[did]notdirectly or indirectly inVOlve animmediate orultimate financial liability ofthe Organization •••"(!lli,.,para.17). 18.12Initsrelated rep:>rt(A/33/552), theAdvisory Committee recommended that theGeneral Assembly app[ove therecommendations oftheSecretarY-General inhis report, subsequently, bysection IXofitsresolution 33/116B,theGeneral Assembly concurred withtherecOffimendations madebythesecretary-General inhisreport.
analysis: The text discusses budgetary and staffing matters related to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), specifically the proposed reclassification of a post and the transfer of a post from the Environment Fund's PPSC budget to the regular budget of the United Nations. The text also mentions the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification and the establishment of a special account to implement it. These topics seem to be related to environmental and developmental issues.