Sixty-seventh General Assembly

Plenary

90^th Meeting (PM)

General Assembly Adopts 2013/14 Peacekeeping Budget Approaching $8 Billion

for 14 Operations, Acting on Fifth Committee Recommendations

Acting on the recommendations of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), the General Assembly today adopted its peacekeeping budget for the period 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014.

Thirteen peacekeeping missions received just over $7.15 billion in annual funding, on top of which, the new United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) would receive $366.77 million for the six months to 31 December 2013.  The following table details the breakdown of funding:

Mission	Total Appropriation
MINURSO ( Mission for Referendum in Western Sahara)	$61.69 million
MINUSTAH (Stabilization Mission in Haiti)	$609.18 million
MONUSCO (Stabilization Mission in Democratic Republic of the Congo)	$1.53 billion
UNAMID (Hybrid Operation in Darfur)	$1.41 billion
UNDOF (Disengagement Observer Force)	$50.73 million
UNFICYP (Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus)	$58.51 million
UNIFIL (Interim Force in Lebanon)	$520.44 million
UNISFA (Interim Security Force in Abyei)	$307.05 million
UNMIK ( Mission in Kosovo)	$47.47 million
UNMIL ( Mission in Liberia)	$503.18 million
UNMISS ( Mission in South Sudan)	$976.62 million
UNOCI (Operation in Côte d’Ivoire)	$617.51 million
UNSOA (Support Office for the African Union Mission in Somalia)	$460.4 million
TOTAL, excluding MINUSMA ( Mission in Mali)	$7.15 billion

The texts for each mission set forth the provisions for apportioning the sums among the Member States, as well as any offsets that might apply.

A text on the support account for peacekeeping operations approved requirements for that account in the amount of $321 million ($321,307,500)for the period 1 July 2013 to 31 June 2014.

The Assembly also adopted drafts on financing the United Nations Logistics Base in Brindisi, Italy, and on estimates in respect of special political missions, good offices and other political initiatives.

All but one text was approved by consensus, with a draft resolution on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) adopted by a recorded vote of 126 in favour to 3 against, with 0 abstentions.

The representative of Syria, voting in favour of the text, said he had joined the consensus adoption of the text on United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), as well.  Israel, as the aggressor and occupying authority, he stated, should finance both missions.

Prior to adoption, Member States also voted on language contained in the draft’s preamblular paragraph 4 and operative paragraphs 4, 5 and 13, including a call for Israel to pay some $1.1 million for damages to United Nations property following the shelling of the Qana village in southern Lebanon.  The paragraphs were retained by a vote of 80 in favour to 3 against, with 46 abstentions.

The General Assembly will meet again at a date and time to be announced.

Action on Drafts

Fifth Committee Rapporteur JUSTIN KISOKA (United Republic of Tanzania) presented the Committee’s reports containing draft resolutions and decisions for Assembly action.

The Assembly then adopted, without a vote, a resolution on financial reports and audited financial statements, and reports of the Board of Auditors (document A/67/666/Add.1), by which it expressed concern that there was weakness in the oversight of procurement and requested the Secretary-General to provide an overall analysis of those activities throughout United Nations peacekeeping operations in order to enhance its management in a more accountable manner, in the context of his next report on implementation of the recommendations of the Board concerning those operations.

Turning next to the draft resolution estimates in regard of special political missions, good offices and other political initiatives authorized by the General Assembly and/or the Security Council (document A/67/677/Add.3), the Assembly adopted it without a vote.

The Assembly then adopted, again without a vote, the texts financing of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) (document A/67/898); financing of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) (document A/67/899); financing of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) (document A/67/900); financing of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) (document A/67/901); financing of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) (document A/67/663/Add.1); and financing of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) (document A/67/902).

Taking up the draft resolutions financing of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) (document A/67/903); financing of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) (document A/67/904); financing of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) (document A/67/905); and financing of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) (document A/67/906), the Assembly adopted the texts without a vote.

Next, the Assembly took up the text on financing the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) (document A/67/914).  A single separate vote was requested on the fourth preambular paragraph, and operative paragraphs 4, 5 and 13.

By a vote of 80 in favour to 3 against ( Canada, Israel, United States), with 46 abstentions, the Assembly retained those paragraphs.

The Assembly then adopted the resolution as a whole, by a vote of 126 in favour to 3 against ( Canada, Israel, United States), with no abstentions.

The representative of Syria, in explanation of position, said he had joined the consensus in adopting the text on UNDOF and also voted in favour of the text on the financing on UNIFIL.  Syria had long held the position that Israel, the aggressor and occupying authority, was the reason for both missions’ creation, and therefore, it should be responsible for their financing, which would be in line with Assembly resolution 1874 (S-IV) of 27 June 1963.  He noted with concern that, according to the Secretary-General’s report A/67/705, there was a possibility UNDOF’s logistic mechanism might be changed to permit vendors and contract services to be supplied from the Alpha line.  He stressed that all such services should be exclusively transported through legitimate border crossings, and not the Alpha line, in accordance with the agreement between the United Nations and the Syrian Government.  Syria had conveyed its position on the matter to the Secretariat, Department of Peacekeeping Operations and UNDOF.

The General Assembly then adopted, without action, the following draft resolutions:  financing of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) (document A/67/907); financing of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) (document A/67/908); financing of the United Nations Supervision Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic (document A/67/909); financing of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) (document A/67/910); financing of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) (document A/67/911); financing of the activities arising from Security Council resolution 1863 (2009) (document A/67/912); and financing of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) (document A/67/913).

Turning to two draft resolutions on the administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations (document A/67/858/Add.1), the Assembly adopted, without a vote, resolution I on the support account for peacekeeping operations and resolution II on financing the United Nations Logistics Base in Brindisi, Italy.

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For information media • not an official record