be asked whether their communications were really necessary, and if so, whether they could be abbreviated and whether the most economical form of transmission was being used. He hoped that there was a general instruction to exercise restraint, so that the relentless increases with which the Organization was faced could at least be mitigated. 31. Mr. RUEDAS (Under-Secretary-General for Administration and Management) said that, as the representative of Austria had indicated, the Secretary-General had expressed understanding, in his statement in the Fifth Committee (A/C.5/38/SR.7), of the Advisory Committee's position that it was unable to proceed any further with the Vienna link for the time being, and had undertaken to submit a more complete report on the entire communications picture at a later stage. The representative of Japan had rightly noted the connection with the Secretary-General's comments on the JIU report on DIESA (A/38/334/Add.l). Communications were a vital part of United Nations activity. As the Secretary-General had said, the emphasis placed by ; ... A/C.5/38/SR.32 English Page 7 (Mr. Ruedas) the General Assembly on decentralization would demand considerable improvement in the communication systems linking the Organization's major duty stations. Improved transmission of data not only would facilitate decision-making at the level of the heads of overseas offices, but would also help to bring costs down. For example, cable costs could be reduced if satellite communications were installed between Headquarters and all duty stations. Unfortunately, he could not guarantee that the Secretary-General would be able to report on the Vienna link at the current session, but if the study in progress proved satisfactory he would do so. 32. Mr. TIMBRELL (Assistant Secretary-General for General Services) said in reply to the representative of Barbados that he did not take the comment of the Advisory Committee as suggesting that morale in the Security and Safety Service was 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the topic of communication systems within the United Nations organization, specifically the need for improvement in the communication systems linking the organization's major duty stations. It also touches on the topic of costs and the potential for reducing costs through the use of satellite communications. This suggests that the category related to Transport and Communication is the most fitting.

**Category**
Transport and communication