translate English to French: His delegation was not, however, convinced that the proposed informal consultations were desirable, the issue being highly contentious and thus likely to constitute a drain on time and resources.
Toutefois, la délégation n'est pas convaincue du bien-fondé de la proposition relative aux consultations officieuses; en effet, cette question est très controversée et risque donc de faire perdre du temps et des ressources.