23 December 2022

Thank you very much Mr. Chairman

And many, many thanks to all of you for having this opportunity. You may guess there are two reasons for my being here tonight.

First and foremost, to thank you all for the work done so far.

The second reason: to encourage you to do the remaining work in the remaining time.

This Committee has successfully worked together to pass very important decisions during the session and in the past couple of days as well, starting from funding the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (蘑菇视频AMA), revised estimates on global food security for 2022-2023 and many important details in the last couple of days.

I would like to encourage you to keep up the excellent momentum and to work together to the end, on time.

My understanding is that there is a basis for political compromise.

There is a basis for creating consensus on the main issues.

Now is time to make the remaining part of the compromise – it’s time to make it happen at the level of the implementation.

I hereby ask the Secretariat to keep standing by you, helping you – even if negotiations would end at a very late night.

I’m sure you are prepared to do your part of the work throughout the night.

We are only one day away from Christmas Eve, though I’m fully aware it may not be a big event for all of you, but for some of you it is. And it is vital for the Committee to conclude its deliberations before that.

I encourage all of you, all Member States, to focus on the pending issues, if possible, not to open, not to reopen the ones which have been successfully reached jointly.

This Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) plays a key role in upholding the reputation of this Organization, the credibility and the reputation, to ensure that the finances are managed in a fully accountable, transparent and efficient manner. I think that is a shared goal of us.

Transformation – what we all would like to see in this Organization, in this world – transformation has started already. And it is underway. It is up to us to make sure that it will turn, and it will go to the right direction.?

This Organization, and those people depending on this Organization, will look upon you. Their fate, their near future, will depend on how you decide.

I will remain on standby. I will be here to provide all support, what we can, from my Office, from myself, to expedite the Committee’s conclusion.

I truly hope that the hours, the night ahead of us, maybe tomorrow morning, if necessary, the time will be sufficient to find the bridges and I’m sure you are in the best hands.

I have full trust in the Chairman of this Committee, Ambassador Philippe Kridelka (Belgium), and I have full trust in the bureau of the Fifth Committee. And the whole membership has high hopes and full trust in all of you.

So, thank you much indeed. And many, many thanks for the energy you have invested already, and you are going to invest, in the shared work.

Now is the moment, we can make a good result.

Thank you much indeed.