Nigeria is rallying African ambassadors ahead of today’s opening of the United Nations’ budget negotiations, with its Permanent Representative to the UN, Amb. Jimoh Ibrahim, leading efforts to coordinate the continent’s position.
Ibrahim, who chairs the UN General Assembly’s Fifth Committee, convened an interactive meeting with African ambassadors at Nigeria House in New York on Sunday as the committee prepares to begin deliberations on the organization’s finances and administration.
The meeting brought together African representatives, including the ambassadors of Morocco, The Gambia and Guinea, as well as the chair of the African Group’s Fifth Committee experts.
The consultations were aimed at briefing African diplomats on preparations for the session, addressing their concerns and building collective support for the negotiations. “I want to welcome everyone to this meeting. It’s going to be a continuous interactive meeting,” Ibrahim said.
He said similar consultations could be held every two or three weeks to strengthen coordination between African ambassadors and their technical experts throughout the negotiations.
Ibrahim thanked the African Group for supporting his emergence as chairman and pledged to justify the confidence placed in Nigeria.
“I can assure you that I will do my best to make sure that that confidence you reposed in me is not abused or misused.
“Together, we’ll foster our interests collectively to ensure that we get it right, particularly in matters of budget and administration,” he said.
The Nigerian envoy said protecting African interests would remain a priority during the deliberations, stressing that the continent should engage the international system on an equal footing. “Africa is never treated as second-class citizen,” Ibrahim said.
The Fifth Committee is responsible for administrative and budgetary matters at the UN and recommends how resources should be allocated to implement mandates approved by member states.
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As chair of the committee for the 81st session, Ibrahim places Nigeria at the centre of negotiations over the organization’s finances and administration.
The committee’s main session runs from October 5 to December 4, with the proposed programme plan and budget for 2027 among the key documents before delegates.
Ibrahim said one of his earliest priorities after assuming the chairmanship was ensuring that relevant reports reached member states early enough to allow meaningful scrutiny.
“If we don’t have report, there is no way we can move forward in the Fifth Committee. Our experts are the ones doing the bulk of the job, and they need to have the report at hand,” he said.
The Nigerian diplomat also stressed the connection between efficiency, effectiveness and financial accountability in the management of the organization.
He said member states could not properly assess UN plans without understanding the figures and financial assumptions underpinning them.
“You cannot separate efficiency from effectiveness; they work hand in hand. What drives the plan? The figures,” Ibrahim said.
He urged African ambassadors and experts to work closely, saying diplomats should be guided by the technical expertise of officials directly involved in budget negotiations.
The Fifth Committee’s agenda covers administrative and financial matters assigned to it by the General Assembly, with supporting reports forming the basis for negotiations.
Today’s opening marks the start of a demanding negotiating period in which member states will scrutinize spending proposals, administrative arrangements and the resources required to implement UN mandates.
Ibrahim said the objective was to combine technical preparedness with political coordination to secure fair and effective outcomes for Africa and other UN groups.
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