Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, has been officially elected as the Chairman of the Fifth Committee of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
The Fifth Committee of the United Nations is the Committee on Budget and Administration.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Ibrahim emerged as the chairman of the fifth committee during the 81st session of the General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in New York.
In his acceptance speech, Ibrahim said he was elated by the trust of the committee and humbled by the responsibility bestowed on him to coordinate the committee’s heavy and complex workload.
“This Committee functions as the principal body responsible for all matters regarding administration, budgets, and human resources. It includes all 193 UN Member States, emphasising the significance of this committee in steering the UN’s financial and administrative operations.
“Allow me to extend sincere appreciation to all regional groups and delegations for their support and confidence. I also warmly congratulate and thank our Bureau colleagues, the Vice-Chairs and Rapporteur, as we collectively undertake this important responsibility in the spirit of cooperation and shared purpose. We equally pay tribute to the outgoing Bureau for their distinguished stewardship and express appreciation to the Secretariat for its continued professionalism and support to the Committee,” Ibrahim said.
Speaking further, Ibrahim said the world is at a pivotal time, adding that the United Nations has launched the UN80 reforms to streamline its internal operations and improve efficiency.
“These updates build on the plans from when the current management team was chosen a few years ago. Today, these efforts are even more important given the increasing financial challenges the organisation faces, including a budget shortfall of over $1.8 billion and ongoing efforts to ensure that Member States pay their assessed contribution in full, on time and without pre-conditions. Though these steps might seem small, they are meaningful moves towards achieving the organisation’s larger goals, including rethinking how things are run and finding ways to cut costs. This is especially vital as demand for the UN’s work continues to grow among its Member States.
“The global system is characterised by rising geopolitical tensions and economic difficulties, which have contributed to increased poverty. Poor governance, stemming from inadequate responses to increasingly destructive technological innovations, further exacerbates these issues. Leadership has become a central focus of the global development agenda. We must respond proactively; otherwise, the ecosystem will act on our behalf. The current moment demands actions that treat knowledge development as a strategic response to insecurity, development, and leadership,” he also said.
While saying that the global economy faced substantial challenges, with clear shortcomings in meeting human development needs, he further said the current period required the United Nations to manage deficit financing arising from converging complexities that place significant burdens on revenue.
“Within this framework, the Fifth Committee is expected to adopt a consensus-based decision-making policy. The Committee operates through an intensive, consensus-driven process to ensure broad agreement among all nations. This methodology is crucial to securing the effective implementation of the United Nations Charter, which affirms the equality of member states and advocates the development of a collaborative and cooperative global economy. Given heightened tensions, a prompt, critical, and innovative strategy is required to create opportunities within this intricate environment.
“As a member of the Budget and Appropriation Committee in the 10th Senate, and chair of the inter-parliamentary relations, I hope to utilise my wealth of experience in forging consensus. During this pivotal time in history, we look to the founding fathers of the United Nations for guidance in fostering collaboration and cooperation toward our shared goals. We aim to support a vibrant and sustainable United Nations, where in the 5th Committee, we focus on stewardship and corporate governance, prioritising a thoughtful, hope-driven budget for all of humanity over merely transactional cost management. I am excited to collaborate with each of you and to learn from your leadership at every level. Thank you for your ongoing support for me and for my beloved Nigeria, as we reaffirm our friendship and mutual respect for the greater good,” Ibrahim also said.
In her remarks, the outgoing chairman of the fifth committee and Permanent Representative of Hungary to the UN, Zsuzsanna Horváth, after reading the citation of Ibrahim, said since no other candidate was standing for the position, in accordance with rule 103 of the rules of procedure and the established practice, the committee was dispensing with the secret ballot to elect by acclamation, Jimoh Ibrahim as the chair of the committee at the 81st session of the General Assembly.
“I have no objection. It is so decided,” Horváth said.
