ASSEMBLY AUTHORIZES $116 MILLION FOR MISSIONS IN FORMER YUGOSLAVIA, CRIMINAL TRIBUNALS
Press Release
GA/9055
ASSEMBLY AUTHORIZES $116 MILLION FOR MISSIONS IN FORMER YUGOSLAVIA, CRIMINAL TRIBUNALS
19960411 Also Adopts Resolutions on Administrative and Budgetary Aspects of Peace-keeping Financing, Scale of AssessmentsThe General Assembly this morning authorized some $116.2 million gross for several peace-keeping and other missions in the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda for varying periods this year, by adopting three draft texts recommended by its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), without a vote.
The Assembly also adopted, without a vote, seven other texts, including those on the scale for sharing out United Nations expenses among States; and on the administrative and budgetary aspects of peace-keeping financing -- the support account for peace-keeping operations, death and disability benefits for United Nations peace-keepers, reimbursements to Member States for the use of their equipment in missions and the relocation of Ukraine to a group of countries charged lower peace-keeping dues.
According to the texts on financing the Tribunals and the missions in the former Yugoslavia, the Assembly authorized:
-- $100 million gross ($98.4 million net) for the period 1 January to 31 May for the pre-liquidation of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), the United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia (UNCRO), the United Nations Peace Forces headquarters (UNPF), and to maintain the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES), the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) and the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (UNPREDEP);
-- $8.6 million gross ($7.6 million net) for the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia for 1 April to 30 June; and
-- $7.6 million gross ($7.1 million net) for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda for the same period.
By one of the four resolutions on administrative and budgetary aspects of peace-keeping financing, the Assembly decided that the reformed procedures for determining reimbursements for contingent-owned equipment shall be in place as of 1 July 1996 on the basis of recommendations by working groups that had studied those issues and by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ). [The recommendations include proposals for the new lease arrangements for contingent-owned equipment, the Secretariat's preparatory role for conversion to the new system and the draft contributions agreement.]
By that resolution, the Assembly endorsed proposals presented by the ACABQ regarding loss and damage to major equipment due to hostile action or forced abandonment. [The ACABQ recommends that, should the United Nations or a State fail to meet its obligations under the lease system, the matter could be referred to a dispute settlement mechanism. It could include mediators and/or arbitrators appointed by the President of the International Court of Justice.]
Also this morning, the Assembly decided to raise Greece's assessments for peace-keeping missions as from 1 July by placing it in the group of Member States paying higher dues for peace-keeping. By that resolution, the Assembly also decided to relocate Ukraine to a group of Member States charged lower peace-keeping dues. The text would move Greece from group c to group b of the States in the special peace-keeping scale. Ukraine will go in the opposite direction as long the dollar cuts in its dues matches the additional sums Greece will be charged.
Ukraine was placed in group b by its previous membership in the former Soviet Union. Since its independence, it is the only former Soviet and eastern European State still in that group. Greece has been in group c since the special scale for peace-keeping funding was adopted in Assembly resolution 3101 (XXVIII) of 11 December 1973.
The 1973 resolution divided the United Nations membership into four groups for apportioning peace-keeping expenses. Those in group d would pay 10 per cent of their regular budget rates; group c, 20 per cent; and group b, 100 per cent. In group a are the permanent Security Council members, which would pay 100 per cent plus what is left unapportioned. The rates are further adjusted in proportion to States' regular budget dues.
Ukraine is assessed at 1.1400 per cent for the regular budget and 1.1438 per cent for peace-keeping in 1996. Moved to group c, it will be assessed about a fifth of its regular budget rate. Greece, assessed at 0.3800 per cent for the regular budget and 0.0763 per cent for peace-keeping, will be charged 100 per cent in group b.
General Assembly Plenary - 3 - Press Release GA/9055 104th Meeting (AM) 11 April 1996
By its resolution regarding death and disability benefits for United Nations peace-keepers, the Assembly asked the Secretary-General to study the possibility of an insurance scheme to cover all troops. He is to base it on a request for proposals from the global insurance market and to present its results by 15 July for the Assembly's consideration.
By adopting a text on the support account for peace-keeping missions, the Assembly decided to extend through 30 June 61 temporary posts it had previously approved, and authorize $50,000 for general temporary assistance, $40,000 for overtime, $60,000 for travel, $189,500 for training and $660,100 for common services through that date. They would be financed from the current formula for financing the support account.
On scale of assessments, the Assembly also decided to permit Liberia, Rwanda, Tajikistan and Comoros to vote through various parts of its next regular session, and Georgia through its current session.
By the terms of the decision it adopted on the implementation of procurement reforms in the Secretariat, the Assembly asked the Secretary- General to submit to its next regular session a comprehensive report on implementing the reform as defined by the ACABQ. [In its report, the ACABQ states that the Secretary-General's previous report should have covered all the procurement at Headquarters and field operations. It recommends that the Secretary-General submit a full implementation report on procurement reform no later than 1 October.]
The Assembly also adopted a decision to defer considering the question of unforeseen and extraordinary expenses to May.
The Fifth Committee reports were introduced by the Committee's Rapporteur, Peter Maddens (Belgium).
The Assembly is scheduled to meet on Monday, 15 April, to begin a five- day meeting on public administration and development.
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