United
Nations


General Assembly

Distr.
GENERAL A/RES/51/12
21 November 1996

Fifty-first session
Agenda item 129


RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

[on the report of the Fifth Committee (A/51/639)]


51/12. Financing of the United Nations
Protection Force, the United Nations
Confidence Restoration Operation in
Croatia, the United Nations Preventive
Deployment Force and the United Nations
Peace Forces headquarters

The General Assembly,

Having considered the reports of the Secretary-General on the financing of the United Nations Protection Force, the United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia, the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force and the United Nations Peace Forces headquarters 1/ and the related reports of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, 2/

Having considered also the report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the review of the management structure in the civilian staff component of the United Nations Peace Forces, 3/

Recalling 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 ceasefire,

Recalling 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 and expanded its mandate,

Recalling further Security Council resolution 981 (1995) of 31 March 1995, by which the Council established the United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia, to be known as UNCRO,

Recalling Security Council resolution 983 (1995) of 31 March 1995, by which the Council decided that the United Nations Protection Force within the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia should be known as the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force,

Recalling also Security Council resolution 1025 (1995) of 30 November 1995, in which the Council decided to terminate the mandate of the United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia on 15 January 1996,

Recalling further Security Council resolution 1031 (1995) of 15 December 1995, in which the Council decided to terminate the mandate of the United Nations Protection Force on the date on which the Secretary-General reported that the transfer of authority from the United Nations Protection Force to the Implementation Force had taken place,

Recalling the letter dated 1 February 1996 from the President of the Security Council to the Secretary-General informing him of the Council's concurrence in principle that the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force become an independent mission, 4/

Recalling also its resolution 46/233 of 19 March 1992 on the financing of the United Nations Protection Force and its subsequent resolutions and decisions thereon, the latest of which was decision 50/410 C of 17 September 1996,

Reaffirming that the costs of the combined Forces 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 decisions regarding the fact that, in order to meet the expenditures caused by the combined Forces, a different procedure is required from that 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 combined Forces by certain Governments,

Mindful of the fact that it is essential to provide the combined Forces with the necessary financial resources to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities under the relevant resolutions of the Security Council,

1. Takes note of the status of contributions to the combined Forces as at 23 October 1996, including the contributions outstanding in the amount of 731.8 million United States dollars, representing 16 per cent of the total assessed contributions from the inception of the United Nations Protection Force to the period ending 31 March 1996, notes that some 32 per cent of the Member States have paid their assessed contributions in full, and urges all other Member States concerned, in particular those in arrears, to ensure the payment of their outstanding assessed contributions;

2. Expresses concern about the financial situation with regard to peacekeeping activities, in particular as regards the reimbursement of troop contributors, which bear burdens owing to overdue payments by Member States of their assessments;

3. Expresses its appreciation to those Member States which have paid their assessed contributions in full;

4. Urges all other Member States to make every possible effort to ensure payment of their assessed contributions to the combined Forces in full and on time;

5. Endorses the observations and recommendations contained in the reports of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, 2/ subject to the provisions of the present resolution;

6. Endorses also the recommendations made by the Office of Internal Oversight Services in its report on the review of the management structure in the civilian staff component of the United Nations Peace Forces, 3/ and requests the Secretary-General to ensure that those recommendations are fully taken into account in the future planning of United Nations peacekeeping missions;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to issue no later than 8 December 1996 the performance report for the period from 1 January to 30 June 1996;

8. Also requests the Secretary-General to include in his next report on the financing of the combined Forces updated information on the status of liquidation of the United Nations Protection Force and the United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia, including costs, staffing levels, a description of difficulties that have been encountered, the Secretary-General's assessment of the progress of liquidation and projections regarding its completion;

9. Expresses its concern about the payment by the combined Forces of charges for items that should have been provided without cost under the status-of-forces agreements;

10. Urges the Secretary-General to convey the concerns of the General Assembly to the Governments concerned, as well as the request by the Assembly that the Governments reimburse the combined Forces for those expenditures, and requests the Secretary-General to withhold settlement of claims submitted by the Governments concerned until the matter of the expenditures is resolved and to include information on efforts to obtain reimbursement in the next report on the financing of the combined Forces;

11. Reminds all Member States that are host to a United Nations peacekeeping mission of the importance of concluding a status-of-forces agreement with the United Nations when a mission has been authorized and of their obligation to comply fully with the terms of such agreements, when concluded;

12. Requests the Secretary-General to take all necessary action to ensure that the combined Forces are administered with a maximum of efficiency and economy;

13. Decides, as an ad hoc arrangement, to apportion the amount of 115,373,000 dollars gross (113,866,300 dollars net), already appropriated by the General Assembly in its resolution 50/235 of 7 June 1996, for the period from 1 to 31 December 1995 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, 47/218 A of 23 December 1992, 49/249 A of 20 July 1995, 49/249 B of 14 September 1995 and 50/224 of 11 April 1996 and its decisions 48/472 A of 23 December 1993 and 50/451 B of 23 December 1995, and taking into account the scale of assessments for the year 1995 as set out in its resolution 49/19 B of 23 December 1994 and its decision 50/471 A of 23 December 1995;

14. Decides also 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 13 above, their respective share in the Tax Equalization Fund of the estimated staff assessment income of 1,506,700 dollars approved for the period from 1 to 31 December 1995;

15. Decides further that, for Member States that have fulfilled their financial obligations to the combined Forces, there shall be set off against the apportionment, as provided for in paragraph 13 above, their respective share in the amount of 115,373,000 dollars gross (113,866,300 dollars net) from the unencumbered balance of 227,406,878 dollars gross (227,911,279 dollars net) in respect of the period ending 31 December 1995;

16. Decides that, for Member States that have not fulfilled their obligations to the combined Forces, their share in the amount of 115,373,000 dollars gross (113,866,300 dollars net) from the unencumbered balance of 227,406,878 dollars gross (227,911,279 dollars net) for the period ending 31 December 1995 shall be set off against their outstanding obligations;

17. Authorizes the Secretary-General to enter into commitments for the liquidation of the combined Forces and the provision of common support for the period from 1 November to 31 December 1996 in the amount of 12,462,300 dollars gross (11,574,400 dollars net);

18. Invites voluntary contributions to the combined Forces 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;

19. Decides to keep under review during its fifty-first session the agenda item entitled "Financing of the United Nations Protection Force, the United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia, the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force and the United Nations Peace Forces headquarters".

50th plenary meeting
4 November 1996


Notes

1/ A/50/696/Add.4 and Corr.1 and Add.5-7.

2/ A/50/903/Add.1 and A/51/497.

3/ A/51/305.

4/ See S/1996/76.