SECRETARY-GENERAL REQUESTS ADDITIONAL $100 MILLION TO FINANCE OPERATIONS IN FORMER YUGOSLAVIA THROUGH MAY
Press Release
GA/AB/3068
SECRETARY-GENERAL REQUESTS ADDITIONAL $100 MILLION TO FINANCE OPERATIONS IN FORMER YUGOSLAVIA THROUGH MAY
19960401 The Secretary-General has asked the General Assembly to authorize him to commit an additional $100 million gross for the period 1 January until May 31 and to assess $150.7 million through May for the financing of four peace- keeping operations in the former Yugoslavia, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) was told this morning.Introducing the Secretary-General's consolidated report, United Nations Controller, Yukio Takasu, requested approval of those amounts for the United Nations Peace Forces in the former Yugoslavia (UNPF), the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH), the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) and the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP). The missions were either extended or established by the Security Council between November 1995 and January 1996.
Mr. Takasu said the immediate request was limited to the minimum requirement to maintain the operations until 31 May, pending the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ)'s review of their cost estimates. The financial authority for the missions had ended yesterday, 31 March.
In his report on financing the missions in the former Yugoslavia (document A/50/696/Add.4), the Secretary-General estimates that the missions will cost a rounded $490.3 million gross ($482.6 million net) for 1 January to 30 June 1996 as follows:
-- UNPF: $302.1 million gross ($299 million net); -- UNMIBH: $ 52.7 million gross ($50.8 million net); -- UNTAES: $110.4 million gross ($108.2 million net); -- UNPREDEP: $ 25.2 million gross ($24.7 million net).
UNPF's budget provides for the phasing out of military and civilian personnel. Those of the other three operations cover the deployment of military observers, civilian police, international staff and the maintenance of vehicles.
The Secretary-General asks the Assembly to appropriate $302.1 million gross ($299 million net) for the pre-liquidation of UNPF for the period 1 January to 30 June. That includes $100 million gross ($98.4 million net) previously authorized. He also requests the Assembly to assess an additional $212.6 gross ($211.1 million net) for the period 1 January to 30 June, taking into account the $89.5 million gross ($87.9 million net) assessed last December for the period 1 January to 31 March. That amount would be offset against the remaining unencumbered balance of $117.0 million gross ($120.2 million net) for the period ending 31 December 1995.
Further, in the report the Secretary-General requests the Assembly to appropriate and assess: $52.7 million gross ($50.8 million net) to start-up and maintain UNMIBH for the period 1 January to 30 June; $110.4 million gross ($108.2 million net) for UNTAES for the period 15 January to 30 June; and $20.9 million gross ($20.6 million net) to strengthen and maintain UNPREDEP for the period 1 January to 30 May. For the period after 30 May, should the Assembly keep UNPREDEP beyond that date, he asks the Assembly to authorize and assess $4.2 million gross ($4.1 million net) for the period 31 May to 30 June.
According to the report, the Assembly is also asked to appropriate $100 million gross ($99.6 million) for UNPF, previously authorized and assessed for the period 1 July to 30 November 1995. It is also asked to appropriate and assess $115.4 million gross ($113.9 million net) for UNPF, previously authorized last December, for the period 1-31 December 1995. That amount will be offset against the unencumbered balance for the period ending 31 December.
Also this morning, the interim report of the ACABQ on the four missions was introduced. That report on financing the former Yugoslavia missions (document A/50/903) states that, pending a detailed consideration of the then undelivered report of the Secretary-General on those missions, the ACABQ recommends that the General Assembly authorize additional commitments of $100 million gross for the period 1 January to 31 May for those operations. Should the Assembly decide on assessments, the ACABQ points out that the Secretary-General has requested additional assessments of $150.7 million for the period through 31 May 1996.
The ACABQ states that it had based its recommendations on a 19 March letter from the United Nations Controller, which noted that the Secretary- General's report on the missions had been expected to be issued on 27 March, four days before the end of the current financial authority granted by the Assembly.
The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m., Tuesday, 2 April, to take up the financing of the International Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. * *** *