Programmes of technical assistance

IX. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE SECOND FIFTH COMMITTEE
831. Programmes of technical assistance

The General Assembly, Having considered the report[1] of the Economic and Social Council regarding the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance, Mindful that this Programme constitutes one of the most fruitful achievements of the United Nations, Convinced that a further expansion of this Programme would contribute substantially to the promotion of economic development and social progress in the underdeveloped countries, Noting with satisfaction the wide moral and material support given so far to the Expanded Programme and the readiness of Governments to contribute to this enterprise of international co-operation, Considering that the Economic and Social Council has taken steps to ensure that the Expanded Programme is operated with increased efficiency, Recognizing the need for adequate programme planning at the country level and the important role of the participating organizations whose technical skills and competence make possible the achievements of the Programme, and also being desirous of promoting more effective co-ordination of the work of the participating organizations in order that the whole Programme might be more effective, Considering, in particular, resolutions 521 A (XVII) and 542 B (XVIII) of the Economic and Social Council, Having noted the first report[2]2of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions to the ninth session of the General Assembly relating to the Expanded Programme, and having welcomed the statement[3]3of the Secretary-General that the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination would, in its forthcoming study of the organizational relationships in the Expanded Programme, take full account of this report,

A

1. Invites Governments to give the fullest support to the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance and to announce their pledges for the year 1955 at the forthcoming Fifth United Nations Technical Assistance Conference, in order to ensure the continued growth of the Programme;

2. Recommends that Governments and participating organizations continue to pay due regard to making the aims and operations of the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance more widely known;

B

1. Approves the arrangements recommended by the Economic and Social Council and reproduced in annex I to the present resolution regarding the reconstitution of the Special Reserve Fund of the Expanded Programme as a Working Capital and Reserve Fund;

2. Approves the recommendation [4] of the Council that the financial arrangements for the year 1954 as laid down in Council resolution 492 C (XVI), section II, and reproduced in annex II to the present resolution, be continued for the year 1955;

3. Approves the recommendations of the Council regarding the future system of allocation of funds under the Expanded Programme, outlined in annex III to the present resolution and included in Council resolution 542 B (XVIII), section II, amending resolutions 222 (IX) and 433 (XIV);

4. Requests the Council to study the means of securing, where possible, contributions to the Expanded Programme on a continuing basis;

C

Refers to the Economic and Social Council the comments and recommendations contained in the first report[5] of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions to the ninth session of the General Assembly;

D

Requests the Economic and Social Council to furnish to the General Assembly at its tenth session a report on the progress made in the consideration of the questions raised in the first report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions to the ninth session, together with the comments of the Advisory Committee on the report of the Council. 502nd plenary meeting,
26 November 1954.

ANNEXES

ANNEX I Working Capital and Reserve Fund of the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance (Recommended by the Economic and Social Council in resolution 521 A (XVII))

(a) The Special Reserve Fund shall be reconstituted as a Working Capital and Reserve Fund, which will serve as a continuing operating reserve and which may be used for the following purposes:

(i) To make advances to participating organizations pending the receipt of contributions from Governments, for the purpose of initiating or continuing approved programmes within an organization's approved earmarkings;

(ii) To improve and facilitate currency management, by making currencies available for exchange with organizations' allocated currencies, for the purchase of needed currencies pending collection of particular contribution, and for advances of currencies which would otherwise have to be purchased by organizations with dollars;

(iii) For such other purposes as may be approved by the Technical Assistance Committee from time to time;

(b) The size of the Working Capital and Reserve Fund shall be determined from time to time by the Technical Assistance Committee;

(c) Withdrawals from the Working Capital and Reserve Fund shall be replaced before the end of the financial period in which they are made.

ANNEX II Financial arrangements for 1955 (From paragraph 5 of section Il of resolution 492 C (XVI) of the Economic and Social Council)

(a) Seventy-five per cent of total funds available, excluding carry-over, shall be available for allocation to the participating organizations after approval of country programmes by the Technical Assistance Board, in accordance with the percentages set forth in paragraph 8 (c)[6] of Council resolution 222 (IX) as amended and modified pursuant to paragraph 19 of the report of the Technical Assistance Committee to the thirteenth session of the Council;

(b) The balance of funds available, including carry-over, shall be retained in the Special Account (i) to cover the necessary minimum expenses of TAB and the resident representatives; and (ii) for further allocation to the participating organizations, as provided in Council resolution 433 (XIV);

(c) In establishing the level of the necessary administrative expense in the whole Programme, the need for economy, in view of the present level of operational expenditure, shall be fully taken into account.

ANNEX III System of allocation of funds under the Expanded Programme (Approved by the Economic and Social Council in paragraph 1 of section Il of resolution 542 B (XVIII))

(a) As from 1 January 1955 and in relation to the programme for 1956 and subsequent years, the funds of the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance shall no longer be allocated to the organizations participating in the Programme on the basis of percentages fixed in advance. The funds shall be distributed on the basis of the requests submitted by Governments and the priorities established by them, subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) below;

(b) The planning and approval of the programmes, and the allocation of funds for their implementation, shall be subject to the following procedure and principles:

(i) TAB shall formulate early in the year, as a guide in planning country and regional programmes, target figures showing the amount of expenditure on technical assistance which it may be possible to undertake during the ensuing year on the basis of an assumed financial availability. In order to ensure stable programming, sharp reductions in country target figures in any single year should normally be avoided, subject to the availability of financial resources. Country target figures, including agency sub-totals for each of the participating organizations, derived from their activities during the preceding year, shall be communicated to the respective Governments. Governments shall, however, be at liberty to present their requests without being bound by these sub-totals;

(ii) Programmes shall be drawn up at the country level by the requesting Governments, in consultation with the resident representatives or such representatives of TAB as may be specially assigned for the purpose, due regard being paid to continuing commitments. Participating organizations shall continue to be responsible for advising and assisting the appropriate Government authorities in the technical planning of individual projects. The responsibility for co-ordinating consultations between Governments and participating organizations shall rest with the resident representatives or such representatives of TAB as may be specially assigned for the purpose;

(iii) The country programmes shall be forwarded by requesting Governments, with an indication of the priorities established by them, to TAB through the resident representatives. TAB shall consider the programmes, draw up the over-all Programme for the following year, including estimates of administrative and indirect operational costs, and submit it, with its recommendations, to TAC. In drawing up the Programme, TAB shall ensure that the ratio between the programmes to be implemented by the different participating organizations will make possible the authorization of allocations in accordance with sub-paragraph (vi) below;

(iv) TAC shall review the over-all Programme in the light of its importance for economic development; this review should not deal with country allocations or with the technical aspects of the Programme or the national development plans of the respective Governments, but should be concerned with over-all priorities, evaluation of the projects and the Programme interrelationships. On the basis of this review, TAC shall approve the Programme, and its approval shall be a prerequisite for any commitment in regard to the implementation of the Programme. The preparation and review of the Programme and all other necessary steps shall be carried out in such a way that TAC will be in a position to approve the over-all Programme and authorize allocations to the participating organizations by 30 November, at the latest;

(v) Subject to the confirmation of the General Assembly, TAC shall authorize the allocation of funds to each of the participating organizations in proportion to their share in the approved over-all Programme, subject to paragraph (vi) below. These funds shall be drawn from the net financial resources, after setting aside the expenses of the TAB secretariat, the Reserve and Working Capital Fund, and a sum amounting to 5 per cent of the estimated resources for the financial year, which shall be allocated by the Executive Chairman of TAB to meet any urgent needs which may arise during the implementation of the annual Programme;

(vi) In order to avoid substantial fluctuations in the total amounts entrusted to each participating organization from year to year, the amount allocated to each of them for the coming year shall not be less than 85 per cent of the amount allocated to them under the current year's Programme, except that, if the estimated net financial resources for the ensuing year fall below the total allocations made during the current year, the amount allocated to each participating organization shall not be less than 85 per cent of its proportion of the allocations for the current year;

(vii) Any extraordinary requests submitted by a Government for modification of the Programme, received subsequent to TAC approval of the annual Programme, may be approved by TAB and reported to TAC at its next meeting. Should it not be possible to effect necessary increases and decreases within the programme of the country concerned, the funds available for allocation by the Executive Chairman under paragraph (V) may be used for this purpose;

(c) TAC shall continue to be under the authority of the Economic and Social Council, and its decisions subject to general policy review by the Council;

(d) The appropriate organs of the participating organizations are requested to continue to review the technical aspects of the programmes for which they assume responsibility, in the same way, in so far as possible, as they examine their regular programmes.



[1] See Official Records of the General Assembly, Ninth Session, Supplement No. 3, chapter III. [2] See document A/2661. [3] See Official Records of the General Assembly, Ninth Session, Second Committee, 315th meeting, paras. 3 and 4. [4] See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, Eighteenth Session, Supplement No. 1, resolution 542 B (XVIII), sect. III, para. 4. [5] See document A/2661. [6] Formerly paragraph 9 (c).
Disclaimer:

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.