Mr. Chair，

At the outset, I wish to thank you for your efforts in promoting positive outcomes during last year's regular session. My appreciation also goes to the members of the Bureau, the ACABQ and the Secretariat of the Fifth Committee for their preparation of today’s meeting. China associates itself with the statement made by Cuba on behalf of the G77 and China about the organization of work. We congratulate Cuba on assuming the chairmanship of the group, and thank Pakistan for the tremendous work during its chairmanship last year. I would like to make the following additional comments:

Facing a volatile international landscape and prominent global challenges, the United Nations, being the central platform of global governance, shoulders great responsibilities and is entrusted with the aspirations of people around the world. Scientific and rational budgeting and human resource management are the foundation for the efficient operation and performance of the UN. We look forward to the continued cooperation and coordination among all parties to ensure the expected outcomes of this session.

China attaches great importance to human resource management. Unfortunately, the Fifth Committee has failed to adopt relevant resolutions for several consecutive years, which to some extent deprives the opportunity for the Secretariat to receive due guidance from Member States. We are seriously concerned that equitable geographical representation continues to be the longstanding issue on the table, and the number of unrepresented and under-represented Member States remains high. China calls on the Secretariat to take effective, tailored and result-based measures to address the issue of geographical representation, especially the under-representation of vast developing countries, so as to reflect the spirit of the UN Charter. In addition to just focusing on the number of under-represented Member States, it is also important to address specific issues such as the severity of under-representation.

Regarding the agenda item of Investing in Prevention and Peacebuilding, the latest resolution on peacebuilding financing adopted by the General Assembly last September lays a foundation for exploring new solutions. As the second largest contributor of UN regular budget and peacekeeping assessments, China attaches high importance to peacebuilding. We have provided support and assistance to conflict and post-conflict countries through various channels within our capacities. And we have been actively engaged in and proposed a constructive solution that complies with the current UN budgetary and financial regulations and rules. We are of the view that the regulations and traditions in UN management areas should be respected, and when using assessed contributions for peacebuilding, it is imperative to respect the supervisory rights of Member States accordingly. The historical responsibility of developed countries as major donors to peacebuilding financing cannot and should not be changed. It is not constructive for traditional donors to evade the responsibility of peacebuilding financing in the name of changing financing methods.

With regard to supply chain management, Member States have not yet reached a consensus on the concept of "sustainable procurement", and it is still subject to discussion. Developed countries have long been the main beneficiaries of UN procurement. China calls for increased transparency and accountability in the procurement sector, and to further favor developing countries. On the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU), China supports the JIU to fully exert relevant functions as an independent external oversight body, and to enhance synergy with bodies including the Board of Auditors (BOA) and the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), so as to continue to strengthen supervision over the entire UN system.

Mr. Chair,

China will constructively participate in the discussions and consultations of various agenda items. We believe this session will achieve great success under your leadership.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.