General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL  

24 March 1994

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

                                                  A/RES/48/238
                                                  91st plenary meeting
                                                  24 March 1994
 
            Financing of the United Nations Protection Force
 
      The General Assembly,
 
      Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the financing
of the United Nations Protection Force and the related report of the Advisory
Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,
 
      Bearing in mind Security Council resolutions 727 (1992) of 8 January
1992 and 740 (1992) of 7 February 1992, in which the Council endorsed the
sending of a group of military liaison officers to Yugoslavia to promote
maintenance of the cease-fire,
 
      Bearing in mind also Security Council resolution 743 (1992) of 21
February 1992, by which the Council established the United Nations Protection
Force, and the subsequent resolutions by which the Council extended the
mandate of the Force, the latest of which was resolution 871 (1993) of 4
October 1993,
 
      Recalling its resolutions 46/233 of 19 March 1992 and 47/210 B of 14
September 1993 on the financing of the Force,
 
      Reaffirming that the costs of the Force are expenses of the Organization
to be borne by Member States in accordance with Article 17, paragraph 2, of
the Charter of the United Nations,
 
      Recalling its previous decision regarding the fact that, in order to
meet the expenditures caused by the Force, a different procedure is required
from the one applied to meet expenditures of the regular budget of the United
Nations, 
 
      Taking into account the fact that the economically more developed
countries are in a position to make relatively larger contributions and that
the economically less developed countries have a relatively limited capacity
to contribute towards such an operation,
 
      Bearing in mind the special responsibilities of the States permanent
members of the Security Council, as indicated in General Assembly resolution
1874 (S-IV) of 27 June 1963, in the financing of such operations,
 
      Noting with appreciation that voluntary contributions have been made to
the Force by certain Governments,
 
      Mindful of the fact that it is essential to provide the Force with the
necessary financial resources to enable it to fulfil its responsibilities
under the relevant resolutions of the Security Council,
 
      1.    Expresses concern about the deteriorating financial situation with
regard to peace-keeping activities due to overdue payments by Member States of
their assessments, particularly Member States in arrears;
 
      2.    Expresses deep concern about the adverse effect that the
deteriorating financial situation has on reimbursement to troop contributors,
placing an additional burden on these countries and putting at risk the
continuing supply of troops to the United Nations Protection Force, and,
consequently, the effective implementation of the its mandate;
 
      3.    Reaffirms its resolution 48/227 of 23 December 1993 and stresses
the need for the Secretariat to submit budget documents in time in order to
allow for a proper and thorough review and approval by the General Assembly of
the budgets before their implementation;
 
      4.    Regrets deeply the fact that the budget documents did not comply
with General Assembly resolution 42/207 C of 11 December 1987 as regards the
equal treatment of the official languages of the United Nations;
 
      5.    Notes the assurances given by the Secretariat that such a
situation will not be repeated;
 
      6.    Notes with satisfaction an improvement in the compliance by the
Secretariat with certain resolutions of the General Assembly concerning the
form of budget documents with regard to peace-keeping operations;
 
      7.    Reaffirms the importance of the role of the Advisory Committee on
Administrative and Budgetary Questions as an advisory body to the General
Assembly in the budget process;
 
      8.    Urges the Secretary-General to complete his review of the rates of
reimbursement to Governments in respect of contingent-owned equipment in close
consultation with Member States, in particular with troop-contributing
countries, and to submit his proposals to the General Assembly no later than
at its forty-ninth session;
 
      9.    Endorses the observations and recommendations contained in the
report of the Advisory Committee, subject to the provisions of the present
resolution;
 
      10.   Requests the Secretary-General to take all necessary action to
ensure that the Force is administered with a maximum of efficiency and economy
and, in particular, to implement fully economy, financial and efficiency
measures to be approved during the resumed forty-eighth session but no later
than 1 May 1994, and to report on the implementation of such measures in the
context of the performance report relevant to the period;
 
      11.   Urges all Member States to make every possible effort to ensure
payment of their assessed contributions to the Force promptly and in full;
 
      12.   Affirms that the non- and late payment of assessed contributions
in full and on time and the fact that the General Assembly has to consider and
approve budgets for peace-keeping operations without adequate documentation
have damaged and continue to damage the ability of peace-keeping operations to
implement their activities effectively;
 
      13.   Also affirms that it expects that the Secretariat will make
appropriate arrangements to ensure that the General Assembly is not asked to
take any future decisions on budgets for peace-keeping operations
retroactively;
 
      14.   Decides to appropriate to the Special Account referred to in
General Assembly resolution 46/233 the amount of 200 million United States
dollars gross (198,257,825 dollars net), authorized and apportioned under the
terms of paragraph 10 of General Assembly resolution 47/210 B, for the
operation of the Force for the period from 1 July to 30 September 1993,
inclusive;
 
      15.   Decides also to appropriate to the Special Account the amount of
195 million dollars gross (193,257,825 dollars net), authorized and
apportioned with the prior concurrence of the Advisory Committee under the
terms of paragraph 10 of General Assembly resolution 47/210 B, for the
maintenance of the Force for the period from 1 October to 31 December 1993,
inclusive;
 
      16.   Decides further to appropriate to the Special Account the amount
of 383,408,000 dollars gross (380 million dollars net), authorized by the
General Assembly in subparagraph (a) of its decision 48/470 A of 23 December
1993 for the maintenance of the Force for the period from 1 July 1993 to 28
February 1994, inclusive;
 
      17.   Decides to appropriate to the Special Account the amount of
80,470,659 dollars gross (82,647,109 dollars net) for the maintenance of the
Force for the period from 1 to 31 March 1994, inclusive;
 
      18.   Decides also, as an ad hoc arrangement, to apportion the amount of
216,928,200 dollars gross (215 million dollars net) for the period from 1 July
1993 to 28 February 1994, in addition to the amount of 166,479,800 dollars
gross (165 million dollars net) already apportioned in accordance with General
Assembly decision 48/470 A, and to apportion the amount of 80,470,659 dollars
gross (82,647,109 dollars net), for the period from 1 to 31 March 1994, among
Member States in accordance with the composition of groups set out in
paragraphs 3 and 4 of Assembly resolution 43/232 of 1 March 1989, as adjusted
by the Assembly in its resolutions 44/192 B of 21 December 1989, 45/269 of 27
August 1991, 46/198 A of 20 December 1991 and 47/218 A of 23 December 1992 and
its decision 48/472 A of 23 December 1993, and taking into account the scale
of assessments for the years 1992, 1993 and 1994 as set out in Assembly
resolutions 46/221 A of 20 December 1991 and 48/223 A of 23 December 1993 and
Assembly decision 47/456 of 23 December 1992;
 
      19.   Decides further that, in accordance with the provisions of its
resolution 973 (X) of 15 December 1955, there shall be set off against the
apportionment among Member States, as provided for in paragraph 18 above,
their respective share in the Tax Equalization Fund of the estimated
additional staff assessment income of 1,928,200 dollars for the period from 1
July 1993 to 28 February 1994 approved for the Force;
 
      20.   Decides that, in accordance with the provisions of its resolution
973 (X), the apportionment among Member States, as provided for in paragraph
18 above, shall take into consideration the decrease in their respective share
in the Tax Equalization Fund of the estimated staff assessment income of
2,176,450 dollars approved for the Force for the period from 1 to 31 March
1994, inclusive;
 
      21.   Decides also that there shall be set off against the apportionment
among Member States, as provided for in paragraph 18 above, their respective
share in the unencumbered balance of 26,219,500 dollars gross (25,384,200
dollars net), in respect of the period from 1 July 1993 to 28 February 1994,
inclusive;
 
      22.   Authorizes the Secretary-General to enter into commitments for the
operation of the Force at a rate not to exceed 95,430,962 dollars gross
(94,546,770 dollars net) per month for the period from 1 April to 31 July
1994, should the Security Council decide to continue the operation beyond 31
March 1994, the amount of 286,292,886 dollars gross (283,640,310 dollars net)
to be apportioned among Member States in accordance with the scheme set out in
the present resolution;
 
      23.   Requests the Secretary-General to submit the budget corresponding
to the mandate period to the General Assembly no later than 15 June 1994;
 
      24.   Invites voluntary contributions to the Force in cash and in the
form of services and supplies acceptable to the Secretary-General, to be
administered, as appropriate, in accordance with the procedure established by
the General Assembly in its resolutions 43/230 of 21 December 1988, 44/192 A
of 21 December 1989 and 45/258 of 3 May 1991;
 
      25.   Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-ninth
session the item entitled "Financing of the United Nations Protection Force".