(b)        in accordance with subparagraph 13.1(d) of PC-IX/A/WP.1, recommended that the Commission maintain the present level of the dependency allowances for the general services category pending a final decision by the Tenth Session of the Commission.

2.4       The Executive Secretary informed Working Group A that the adoption of a decision to create a new scale would bring to an end on 31 December 1994 the period in which the Commission had paid the general services category in accordance with the United Nations scale.  In the meantime the smaller increase in salaries (1.38%) to be paid by the United Nations, backdated to April 1994, would also be paid to the Secretariat's general services staff for the period April - December 1994 only.

2.5       In accordance with subparagraph 13.1(e) of PC-IX/A/WP.1, Working Group A requested the Expert Group on Administrative, Financial and Personnel Matters to consider the issues raised by the Finance Group in subparagraphs 10.4 to 10.9 of PC-IX/A/WP.1.

2.6       In the light of subparagraph 13.2 of PC-IX/A/WP.1, Working Group A noted that its Chairman has transmitted Finance Group Paper No. 8 "Background Paper on the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund and Provident Fund" to the Expert Group on Administrative, Financial, and Personnel Matters.

3.         Programme of Work and Budget

3.1       Working Group A received the Eighth and Ninth Reports of the Expert Group on Programme of Work and Budget (PC-IX/A/WP.2 and PC-IX/A/WP.4 respectively).  The Reports were presented by Ms. Ana Cristina Asfora of Brazil on behalf of Ambassador Jorge Morales Pedraza of Cuba, the Chairman of the Expert Group.

3.2       Working Group A endorsed the following recommendations and referred them to the Commission for consideration and approval at its Ninth Session:

(a)        that, in accordance with subparagraph 8.1(a) of PC-IX/A/WP.2, the new item "Reusable Boots" be included in the equipment list contained in the Annex to PC-VIII/A/WP.7 adopted by the Commission at its Eighth Session; and

(b)        that, in accordance with subparagraph 8.1(b) of PC-IX/A/WP.2, the funding required for the procurement of the new item "Reusable Boots" in Part II of the 1995 Budget (Dfl. 22,800) be taken from the amount allocated for the procurement of Occupational Health Equipment (Dfl. 384,180).

3.3       Working Group A approved the following recommendations from the Expert Group on Programme of Work and Budget contained in PC-IX/A/WP.2:

(a)        that, in accordance with subparagraph 8.2(a), the draft OPCW Budget follow in principle the basic structure derived from the format already adopted in the Commission's 1995 Budget;

(b)        that, in accordance with subparagraph 8.2(b), for the first two years of the OPCW, the budget cycle should be on an annual basis, and that, after an initial period of at least two annual budgets, the OPCW could consider a move to a biennial budget cycle with annual financial reporting;

(c)        that, in accordance with subparagraph 8.2(d), the initial budget of the OPCW be a single currency, and that this single currency be the Dutch Guilder;

(d)        that in future, in accordance with subparagraph 8.2(f), the possibility of the Executive Secretary making transfers of funds within any given programme be limited to either a nominal amount or a percentage rate, whichever, in the view of Member States, would be preferable;

(e)        that, in accordance with subparagraph 8.2(h), the Secretariat be required to obtain the views of the Finance Group and the Expert Group on Programme of Work and Budget and subsequently to seek approval from the Commission in cases where a large programme in the budget has to be broken down into new objects of expenditure to improve budgetary control; and

(f)        that, in accordance with subparagraph 8.2(k), the amount of the Working Capital Fund for the future OPCW should not exceed one-twelfth of the overall level of the regular budget for any one year.

3.4       On the basis of the recommendations contained in the Report of the Expert Group on Programme of Work and Budget (PC-IX/A/WP.2), Working Group A requested:

(a)        the Secretariat, in accordance with subparagraph 8.2(c), to contact those intergovernmental organisations that operate split currency assessment budgets and, after taking evidence from other alternative sources, to report back to the Finance Group on the practical implications of such a system;

(b)        the Secretariat, in accordance with subparagraph 8.2(e), to provide the Finance Group with the report of the Executive Secretary on the findings of his examination of the External Auditor's observations on the Commission's 1993 accounts for review at the next meeting of the Finance Group;

(c)        the Expert Group on Programme of Work and Budget, in accordance with subparagraph 8.2(g), to give consideration to the view that all limitations with regard to transfers of funds be included in the decisions taken to approve the Budget;

(d)        the Secretariat, in accordance with subparagraph 8.2(i), to prepare for consideration by the Finance Group a note on best practices in financial management as contained in the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) reports JIU/REP/94/5 and JIU/REP/93/5;

(e)        the Expert Group on Programme of Work and Budget, in accordance with subparagraph 8.2(j), to consider, at an appropriate stage, the possibility of the application to the OPCW Budget of a contingency margin to meet liquidity problems;

(f)        the Secretariat, in accordance with subparagraph 8.2(l), to amend paragraph 18 of the draft administrative directive on investment policies and procedures in a manner which requires the Executive Secretary to report periodically to the Commission with the comments of the Finance Group on the status of investments;

(g)        Working Group B, in accordance with subparagraph 8.2(m), to task the Expert Group on Training to return at its next scheduled meeting to the issue related to the implementation of the training budget and to report directly to the Expert Group on Programme of Work and Budget with a proposal on how the training budget should be spent; and

(h)        the Executive Secretary, in accordance with subparagraph 8.2(n), to prepare a paper outlining the practical ramifications of the implementation of several articles of the Convention with budgetary implications.

4.         Data Systems

4.1       Working Group A received the Ninth Report of the Expert Group on Data Systems (PC-IX/A/WP.3).  The Report was presented by Mr. Olivier Caron of France, the Chairman of the Expert Group.

4.2       Working Group A, in accordance with subparagraph 5.1 of PC-IX/A/WP.3, noted paragraphs 2 and 3 and subparagraph 4.1 of the same Report.

4.3       Working Group A noted that, in accordance with the request contained in subparagraph 5.2(b) of PC-IX/A/WP.3, the Secretariat has communicated the content of subparagraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of the same Report to the Expert Group on Programme of Work and Budget for consideration.

5.         IS Branch resources

5.1       Working Group A, in accordance with paragraph 2 of PC-IX/A/WP.4, recommended that the Commission unfreeze all IS Branch personnel appropriations, including both those related to personnel already in place and those related to new posts as established under subparagraph 7.6.3 of the Annex to PC-VIII/A/WP.7.

5.2       Working Group A noted the Draft Proposal by the Chairman of Working Group A (PC-IX/A/CRP.2/Rev.1), and approved the following recommendation:

"In order to enable the Secretariat to perform its essential functions regarding the IMS during the first quarter of 1995, Working Group A requested the Commission to lift the reservations and to approve expenditure on the following items in the IS Branch budget for 1995, in addition to those items for which expenditure was recommended by the Expert Group on Data Systems at its ninth meeting (PC-IX/A/WP.3).

9.         Conclusion of meeting

            The Report of Working Group A was adopted, and the meeting concluded at 17:00 on 6 December 1994.

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