General Assembly: 94th plenary meeting, 80th session

Good afternoon. The 94th Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly is called to order. Before proceeding to the item on the agenda, I would like, on behalf of the General Assembly, to extend our deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences for the government and people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for the tragic loss of life and damage that have resulted from the recent earthquakes. I now invite representatives to stand and observe a minute of silence in tribute to the memory of those who lost their lives. I thank you. The Assembly will now consider the report of the Fifth Committee on agenda items 133, 134, 148 to 152. 154, 155, 156A and B, 157 to 159, and 177. The documentation under these items is listed in the Journal of the United Nations. I request the Rapporteur of the Fifth Committee, Mr. Vadim Belloni of Chile, to introduce the reports of the Committee in one intervention. Thank you again.

Madam President, distinguished delegates, I have the honor to present the report of the Fifth Committee. During the second part of the resumed Resumed '80s session. The Fifth Committee met from May 4th until today, holding 6 plenary meetings and numerous informal consultations. The report of the Fifth Committee containing recommendations for consideration during the second part of the Resumed '80s session of the General Assembly is reflected in A/C5/80/INF/5. At the outset, I wish to highlight as its key achievement the draft resolution on the much-needed credit return methodology to deal with the liquidity challenges faced by the organization. Other recommendations include draft resolutions on the following: financial reports and audited financial statements and reports of the Board of auditors, triennial review of the rates and standards for reimbursement to member states for contingent-owned equipment, rates of reimbursement to troop and police-contributing countries, support account for peacekeeping operations, financing of the regional service center in Entebbe, Uganda, and the United Nations Logistics Base at Brindisi. And on the financing of peacekeeping operations, namely of American Nations Interim Security Force for Abié, United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, United Nations Disengagement Observer Force and United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, United Nations Mission in South Sudan, United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, the activities arising from Security Council Resolution 1863/2009, and United Nations Support Office in Haiti. Lastly, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly a draft decision entitled Questions Deferred for Future Consideration. I wish to thank all the delegations for their cooperation during the course of this session.

Before concluding, please allow me, Madam President, to say a few words on a personal note to thank the President of the Fifth Committee for her work, Ambassador Susana Horvat, and her team, Nicolae Lețioc and Dorca Novac. I would also like to thank the vice chairs my colleagues from the Bureau, Mr. Mohammed Taki Amorali, Bella Padreldin Bachin, and Eric Björk. Also, I would especially like to highlight the noteworthy efforts of the team of the Secretariat of the Fifth Committee led by Mr. Lionel Berridge, which includes Tomoko Iwata, Sarah Müller, Geraldine Belandria, Chihiro Mitsuda, Yi Xuan Li, Diogo Aita, Rohana Induktivo, Arina Kretowa, and Geran Chow, who provided extremely valuable support to this Bureau. Finally, I would like to wish success to the incoming Bureau, who will assume its role during the 81st session. Thank you very much, Madam President.

Muchas gracias. I thank the Rapporteur of of the Committee. Before proceeding further, I would like to emphasize that as the Committee concluded its work only recently, the Committee's report is available in English only. It is my understanding that they will be issued in all official languages as soon as possible. I thank you for your understanding. The positions of delegations regarding the recommendations of the Committee have been made clear in the Committee and will be reflected in the relevant official records. Therefore, if there's no proposal under Rule 66 of the Rules of Procedure, I shall take it that the Assembly decides not to discuss the report of the Committee which is before the Assembly today. It is so decided. Statements will therefore be limited to explanations of vote. We will proceed to take decisions in the same manner as was done in the Committee, unless the Secretariat is notified otherwise in advance. This means that where separate or recorded votes were taken, we will do the same. I also hope that we may proceed to adopt without a vote in one gavel those recommendations that were adopted without a vote in the Committee. Persian to Resolution 79/327 of September 5th, 2025. The results of the votes will be uploaded on the eDelegate portal under plenary place. Any corrections to the voting intentions of delegations after the voting has concluded on a proposal should be addressed directly to the Secretariat after the meeting. I count on your cooperation in avoiding any interruptions to our proceedings in this regard. The note by the Secretariat entitled Recommendations contained in the Report of the Fifth Committee for consideration by the General Assembly has been issued as Document A/C.5/80/INF/5. We shall now proceed to consider the draft resolution and draft decision recommended by the Committee. Delegations wishing to make a statement in explanation of vote before the vote on any proposal recommended by the Committee today are invited to do so now in one intervention. After action on all of them, there will be an opportunity for statements in explanation of vote after the vote on any or all of them in one intervention. Before giving the floor for explanation of vote, before the vote, as announced in my letters dated January 6th and 20th May 2026, I propose that the time limits for statements in explanation of vote under these items be 5 minutes. Is there any objection to this proposal? I hear none. It is so decided. Accordingly, pursuant to Rule 72 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, When a representative exceeds her or his allotted time, the President shall call the speaker to order without delay, which will be done by means of automatic microphone cutoff. To assist delegations in managing their time, a countdown clock will be displayed on the screens. Members are also reminded that explanations of vote should be made by delegations from their seats. In accordance with Decision 34/401, A delegation should, as far as possible, explain its votes only once, that is, either in the Committee or in the Plenary meeting, unless that delegation's vote in Plenary meeting is different from its vote in the Committee. I give the floor to the representative of Israel, who I understand will introduce an oral amendment to draft resolution 15 entitled financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. Sorry.

Thank you for giving me the floor, Madam President. Madam President, the process of approving peacekeeping operation budgets should not be guided by an unjustified and biased approach against Israel year after year. This biased approach has no place in the Fifth Committee, and it certainly does not make the committee's work more responsible or more credible. Israel's position on this issue is well known, has not changed, and we completely and utterly reject this false attempt to undermine the proper functioning of this committee. PP4 and OPs 4, 5, and 18 introduced in Document A/C.5/80/L32 are nothing more than an attempt to insert a political agenda into an otherwise non-political discussion. Therefore, my delegation requests the deletion of PP4 and OPs 4, 5, and 18 from this draft, and we urge member states to join Israel in supporting this deletion. Should a recorded vote on our request for deletion be required, I call on all member states to vote in favor of this. In the event that our amendment is not adopted, my delegation requests that action on the draft resolution as a whole be taken. By a recorded vote. Thank you, Madam President.

I thank the representative of Israel. The Assembly will now proceed to take votes on the draft resolution recommended by the Committee where such votes were taken in the Committee. After the votes are taken, the Assembly will then be invited to take a decision in one gavel pursuant to Resolution 79/327 on all the draft resolutions and decisions adopted by the Committee without a vote. Draft Resolution 15 is entitled Financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, the text of which for the time being is contained in document A/C5/80/L32 revision 1. In accordance with Rule 90 of the Rules of Procedure, the Assembly will first take a decision on the oral amendment proposed by the representative of Israel. A recorded vote has been requested. We shall now begin the voting process. Those in favor of the oral amendment proposed by the representative of Israel to draft resolution 15, please signify. Those against? Abstentions?

The Assembly is now voting on the oral amendment proposed by the representative of Israel. Israel to draft Resolution 15, entitled Financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. This vote is not listed in the information note. Will all delegations confirm that their votes are accurately reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed. Please lock the machine.

The result of the vote is as follows: in favor, 5; against, 80; abstentions, 54. The oral amendment proposed by the representative of Israel is not adopted. Since the oral amendment proposed by the representative of Israel is not adopted, we shall proceed to take a decision on draft resolution 15. I now put it the vote Draft Resolution 15. We shall now begin the voting process. Those in favor of Draft Resolution 15, please signify. Those against, abstentions.

The Assembly is now voting on Draft Resolution 15, entitled Financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. Will all delegations confirm that their votes are accurately reflected on the screen? The voting has been completed. Please lock the machine.

The result of the vote is as follows: in favor, 137; against, 4; abstention, 1. Draft Resolution 15 is adopted. I now invite the Assembly to take a decision in one gavel on all the draft resolutions and decisions adopted by the Committee without a vote. The Committee adopted draft resolutions 1 to 14 and 16 to 19 and the draft decision without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do likewise? It is so decided. Before giving the floor for explanations of vote— after the vote, may I remind delegations that explanations of vote are limited to 5 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats. In accordance with Decision 34/401, a delegation should, as far as possible, a planet's vote only once, that is, either in the Committee or in the Plenary Meeting, unless that delegation's vote in Plenary Meeting is different from its vote in the Committee. As there are no requests for the floor, Dear Excellencies, distinguished delegates, on the successful conclusion of the work on the peacekeeping budgets, and the adoption of the— indeed, in my viewpoint— landmark resolution on the revised mechanism for the return of credits, I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to all Member States and in particular the Fifth Committee delegates for their dedication the last days, day and night, constructive engagement, and spirit of compromise throughout these challenging negotiations. I also express my deepest gratitude to the Chair of the Fifth Committee, Her Excellency Susanna Horvat, for her steadfast leadership, patience, and tireless efforts in guiding the committee's work to successful conclusions in these not-so-easy times, as well as to Miss Nicoletta Koschke, who supported her throughout this process. My sincere thanks also go to the members of the bureaus and facilitators, the Secretariat of the Fifth Committee and the Controller, Mr. Chandru Ramachandran, as well as the entire Secretariat team. And importantly, thanks to the Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who has repeatedly raised this Kafkaesque mechanism of return of credits for many, many years. The successful conclusion of these negotiations, especially with regard to the credits achieved by consensus, reflects in these times also the very spirit of being better together. It demonstrates that even on the most complex and sensitive issues, Member States can bridge differences through dialogue, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to strengthening our United Nations. Thank you, and I would say a big applause to the whole General Assembly. The Assembly has voted has thus concluded the stage of its consideration of agenda items 133, 134, 148 to 152, 154, 155, 156 A and B, 157 to 159, and 177. The Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of the report of the Fifth Committee. The meeting is adjourned. I wish you all a good evening and successful matches. In this case, being better together also counts, but only one team can win, so may the best team win. Have a good evening. The meeting is concluded.