New York, Oct 16 2009 6:10PM
The current financial picture of the United Nations is mixed, a top official reported today, as she urged Member States to ensure that the Organization remains on solid footing.
"In order to maintain the financial health of the Organization, it remains as critical as ever for Member States to meet their financial obligations to the United Nations in full and on time and… let me urge all Member States to endeavour to do so," said Under-Secretary-General for Management Angela Kane.
<"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2009/gaab3921.doc.htm">Briefing the General Assembly committee dealing with administrative and budgetary issues, also known as the Fifth Committee, she said that cash balances are projected to be positive for all categories at year end, while adding that the final outcome will depend on last quarter contributions.
In connection with the Organization's regular budget, she said that assessments and payments were both higher in 2009 than in 2008, by $619 million and $534 million respectively.
She thanked the 120 Member States that have paid their regular budget contributions in full and urged the remaining 72 that have not yet done so to pay their assessed contributions for 2009 in full as soon as possible.
The amount of unpaid assessed contributions stood at $830 million as of 13 October. The breakdown of that amount was highly concentrated, she noted, with 93 per cent owed by a single Member State – the United States – and 7 per cent owed by a number of others.
"Clearly, the final picture for 2009 will largely depend on the action taken by these countries in the coming months," stated Ms. Kane.
Turning to peacekeeping operations, she noted that the unpredictable nature of the demand for peacekeeping made it hard to predict financial outcomes. In addition, peacekeeping had a different financial period, running from 1 July to 30 June, rather than 1 January to 31 December.
As of 13 October, the total amount outstanding for peacekeeping operations was over $2.1 billion, some $763 million lower than at the end of 2008.
While unpaid assessments have decreased for peacekeeping operations, there have been increases for the regular budget, as well as for the UN's international tribunals and the Capital Master Plan (CMP) for renovating the Headquarters complex in New York.
Currently, unpaid assessed contributions – comprising the regular budget, peacekeeping, tribunals and the CMP – total $3.1 billion, she said.
The UN's regular budget is approved by the Assembly for a two-year period, and the budget for the biennium 2010-2011 is expected to be acted on before the end of 2009. Contributions are assessed on a scale based primarily on countries' ability to pay. In 2000, the Assembly fixed a maximum of 22 per cent of the budget for any one contributor.
Oct 16 2009 6:10PM
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