CP/RES. 823 (1335/02)^1/

RENOVATION OF THE SIMON BOLIVAR ROOM AND THE SPACE FORMERLY OCCUPIED BY THE COLUMBUS MEMORIAL LIBRARY STACKS IN THE MAIN BUILDING

THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES,

HAVING SEEN the report of the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs on building renovations; the architectural renderings for renovation of the Simón Bolívar Room and the space formerly occupied by the Columbus Memorial Library stacks; the Report of the Board of External Auditors for the most recent fiscal period on cash and other balances in the Regular Fund; and the financial reports of the General Secretariat;

RECALLING:

That the General Assembly approved, through resolution AG/RES. 1230 (XXIII-O/93), Section III, paragraph 8, "Use of arrears payments for specific non-recurring costs":

… proceeding with remodeling of the Main Building …at an estimated cost of US$8.8 million, … such funds to remain available until expended for this purpose…;

That the Main Building remodeling plan considered by the General Assembly includes remodeling of the Simón Bolívar Room and the space formerly occupied by the Columbus Memorial Library stacks; and

That through resolution AG/RES. 1381 (XXVI-O/96), Section III, paragraph 7, the General Assembly authorized the General Secretariat to renovate the Main Building according to an alternative plan to be approved by the Permanent Council, using the funds authorized under AG/RES. 1230 (XXIII-O/93); and

CONSIDERING:

The pressing need to provide a more dignified setting for the Permanent Council, its subsidiary bodies, and other organs of the Organization, with adequate meeting facilities that are in keeping with their requirements and stature; and that the immediate renovation of the Simón Bolívar Room and the space formerly occupied by the Columbus Memorial Library stacks in the Main Building would satisfy that need;

That the budget for renovation of the Simón Bolívar Room contained in document CP/doc.3639/02 estimates the cost at US$2.65 million; and that the General Secretariat estimates the cost of renovating the space formerly occupied by the library stacks to provide meeting rooms and a delegates' lounge at US$750,000;

That under Article 71.b of the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States the Permanent Council may authorize from the Reserve Subfund of the Regular Fund "special expenditures not provided for in the program budget," as long as the amount in the Reserve Subfund is at least 10% of the annual quotas approved for the corresponding year;

That Article 71.b further provides that any withdrawals for special expenditures from the Reserve Subfund must be reimbursed to that Fund "by means of equivalent appropriations in the program-budget for the next fiscal period or in such a manner as may be determined by the General Assembly";

That the amount in the Reserve Subfund substantially exceeds the 10% threshold established in Article 71.b of the General Standards;

That the General Assembly may exempt from the reimbursement requirement funds appropriated from the Reserve Subfund, as it did previously with regard to the funds approved for similar renovations under resolutions AG/RES. 1230 (XXIII-O/93) and AG/RES. 1381 (XXVI-O/96); and

That the General Assembly, in resolution AG/RES. 1848 (XXXII-O/02), instructed the General Secretariat to prepare a proposal for providing more appropriate facilities for conferences and meetings,

RESOLVES:

1.     To instruct the General Secretariat:

a. To complete the renovation of the Simón Bolívar Room and the space formerly occupied by the Columbus Memorial Library stacks in the Main Building no later than 15 months from the date of this resolution; and

b. To submit to the Permanent Council, for review by the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs, quarterly progress reports on the renovations and a final report upon their completion.

2.     To authorize the General Secretariat to obligate from the Reserve Subfund of the Regular Fund up to US$2.65 million for the renovation of the Simón Bolívar Room and up to US$750,000 for the transformation of the space formerly occupied by the Columbus Memorial Library stacks into a delegates' lounge and a multipurpose room.

3.     To request the General Assembly to exempt from the Article 71.b reimbursement requirement the funds appropriated under this resolution.

4.     To instruct the General Secretariat to submit to the thirty-third regular session of the General Assembly a status report on the renovation process of the Simon Bolivar Room and of the space previously occupied by the Columbus Memorial Library stacks as well as a financial report on the use of these funds, in addition to the normal financial and accounting review of the expenditures done by the Organization's auditors.

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1.    The reservation entered by the delegation of Panama is provided in the minutes of the meeting (CP/ACTA 1335/02).