New York, 22 May.- (ANA) - The United Nations regular budget for 2008-2009 is facing a $1.5 billion gap, almost all of which is caused by nine countries in arrears, a top official with the world body said.
Angela Kane, Under-Secretary-General for Management, told a press conference in New York that the countries in arrears – and accounting for more than 90 per cent of the budget gap as of 7 May – are Brazil, China, Germany, Iran, Mexico, Norway, Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The UN Controller’s office listed the arrears, as of 7 May, as: $993 million (US), $121 million (UK), $104 million (Germany), $53 million (Republic of Korea), $33 million (China), $21 million (Brazil), $19 million (Norway), $13 million (Iran) and $13 million (Mexico).
The remaining outstanding arrears amount to $85 million, according to the office.
Last December the UN General Assembly approved an almost 17 per cent increase in the current UN budget for the 2008-2009 period to $4.87 billion from $4.17 billion, including nearly $500 million for six months for peacekeeping operations in Sudan’s war-ravaged Darfur region.
As for the UN’s $1.8 billion Capital Master Plan, which includes among other items extensive renovations for the Headquarters building, Ms. Kane said 84 Member States had either paid in full or are paying on time through an instalment plan, while 101 others had made partial payments.
The UN has a membership of 192 countries. The General Assembly has voted to allow seven countries to retain their voting right despite their not having paid their dues. (ANA)
