Saudi envoy praises UN for continuing its work during pandemic

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres introduced the organization’s proposed program budget for 2022. (Reuters/File)

• Remarks made during talks about proposed program budget

NEW YORK: The Kingdom’s ambassador to the UN praised the global organization for continuing its programs during the COVID-19 pandemic and for its liveliness in meeting new and emerging challenges, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Abdullah Al-Mouallimi made the remarks while giving a speech at a meeting of the Fifth Committee during the 76th session of the UN General Assembly.
The envoy congratulated the head of the Fifth Committee and others on their election as members of the office. He also expressed the Kingdom’s aspiration to work with the committee during the session to ensure it completed its work in a timely manner and that the organization had the required resources to complete its tasks.
Al-Mouallimi expressed the Kingdom’s sincere thanks and appreciation to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for introducing the organization’s proposed program budget for 2022. He also thanked Abdallah Bachar Bong, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, for submitting the committee’s relevant report.
He said the Kingdom supported the statement made by the G77 countries and China about the program budget being one of the most important agenda items of this session.
“It is not just a document full of figures, but a moral document that presents a strategic vision of the organization. In dealing with specific budget proposals, Saudi Arabia welcomes the integration of parts of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East to benefit from regular budget funding, as this would ensure more stable and predictable funding that the agency will use to achieve its mandate,” he said, noting that the Kingdom was one of the agency’s largest contributors. “While welcoming the increased development pillar in the budget, the Kingdom is concerned about the reductions affecting regional committees, including the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.”
The Saudi envoy commended the progress achieved by the UN secretary-general to push forward his strategy for gender equality and the integration of people with disabilities.
Al-Mouallimi said the Kingdom was committed to working constructively with the committee and all delegations on the budget item in order to reach an agreement in the interests of the organization.