UNIFIL/Financing – GA resolution

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

[on the report of the Fifth Committee (A/48/813/Add.2)]

48/254.  Financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

The General Assembly,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon 1/ and the related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, 2/

Bearing in mind Security Council resolution 425 (1978) of 19 March 1978, by which the Council established the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, and the subsequent resolutions by which the Council extended the mandate of the Force, the latest of which was resolution 895 (1994) of 28 January 1994,

Recalling its resolution S-8/2 of 21 April 1978 on the financing of the Force and its subsequent resolutions thereon, the latest of which was resolution 47/205 of 22 December 1992, and its decisions 48/464 A of

23 December 1993 and 48/464 B of 5 April 1994,

Affirming 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,

Reaffirming its previous decisions 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,

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,

Recalling its resolution 34/9 E of 17 December 1979 and the subsequent resolutions in which it decided that the provisions of regulations 5.2 (b), 5.2 (d), 4.3 and 4.4 of the Financial Regulations of the United Nations should be suspended, the latest of which was resolution 47/205,

Noting with appreciation that voluntary contributions have been made to the Force by certain Governments,

Concerned that the Secretary-General continues to face difficulties in meeting the obligations of the Force on a current basis, including reimbursement to current and former troop-contributing States,

Concerned also that the surplus balances in the Special Account for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon have been used up for meeting expenses of the Force in order to compensate for the lack of income resulting from non-payment and late payment by Member States of their contributions and have consequently been exhausted,

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 Interim Force in Lebanon, and that this, inter alia, affects the implementation of 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. Notes with satisfaction an improvement in the compliance by the Secretariat with certain resolutions of the General Assembly with regard to the form of budget documents concerning peace-keeping operations;

5. 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;

6. Endorses the observations and recommendations contained in the report of the Advisory Committee, 2/ subject to the provisions of the present resolution;

7. 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 of the General Assembly and to report on the implementation of such measures in the context of the performance report relevant to the period;

8. Urges all Member States to make every possible effort to ensure payment of their assessed contributions to the Force promptly and in full;

9. Affirms that, among other factors, the failure of Member States to pay their assessed contributions promptly and in full and the fact that the General Assembly has unfortunately been led to consider and approve peace-keeping budgets without adequate documentation have damaged and continue to damage the ability of the peace-keeping operations to implement their activities effectively;

10. Decides to appropriate to the Special Account for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon the amount of 146,280,000 United States dollars gross (143,178,000 dollars net), authorized and apportioned by the General Assembly in paragraphs 2 and 3 of its resolution 47/205 for the operation of the Force from 1 February 1993 to 31 January 1994, inclusive;

11. Decides also to appropriate to the Special Account referred to in paragraph 10 above a total amount of 71,142,000 dollars gross (68,847,000 dollars net) for the period from 1 February to 31 July 1994, inclusive of the commitment authority of 24 million dollars gross (23.5 million dollars net) for the period from 1 February to 31 March 1994 and 23,714,000 dollars gross (22,949,000 dollars net) for the period from 1 April to 31 May 1994, authorized under General Assembly decisions 48/464 A and B, respectively;

12. Decides further, as an ad hoc arrangement, to apportion the additional amount of 48,265,400 dollars gross (46,447,000 dollars net) for the period from 1 February to 31 July 1994, taking into account the amount of 22,876,600 dollars gross (22.4 million dollars net) already apportioned in accordance with General Assembly decision 48/464 A, 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;

13. Decides that there shall be set off against the apportionment among Member States, as provided for in paragraph 12 above, their respective share in the estimated income of 10,000 dollars other than staff assessment income approved for the period from 1 February to 31 July 1994, inclusive;

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 12 above, their respective share in the Tax Equalization Fund of the estimated staff assessment income of 1,808,400 dollars approved for the period from 1 February to 31 July 1994, inclusive;

15. Authorizes the Secretary-General to enter into commitments for the operation of the Force at a rate not to exceed 11,857,000 dollars gross (11,474,500 dollars net) per month for a period up to six months beginning

1 August 1994, should the Security Council decide to continue the Force beyond the period of six months authorized under its resolution 895 (1994), the said amount to be apportioned among Member States in accordance with the scheme set out in the present resolution;

16. Decides that there shall be set off against the apportionment among Member States, as provided for in paragraph 15 above, their respective share in the unencumbered balance of 931,000 dollars gross (1,194,000 dollars net) for the period from 1 February 1993 to 31 January 1994;

17. Requests the Secretary-General to include in his next report to the General Assembly on the financing of the Force comments on the feasibility of a gradual reduction of the surplus balance, taking into account the financial situation of the Force, the status of reimbursement to troop-contributing countries and the views expressed by Member States;

18. Decides, pending the receipt of the report, to postpone action on the recommendation contained in paragraph 27 of the report of the Advisory Committee;

19. Requests the Secretary-General, with a view to increasing the cost-effectiveness of the operation, to replace to the extent possible international General Service and international Field Service staff by locally recruited staff;

20. 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;

21. Requests the Secretary-General to take all necessary action to ensure that all United Nations activities related to the Force are administered with a maximum of efficiency and economy and in accordance with the relevant mandate, and to include information on the arrangements made in this regard in his report on the financing of the Force;

22. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-ninth session under the item entitled "Financing of the United Nations peace-keeping forces in the Middle East" the sub-item entitled "United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon".

94th plenary meeting

26 May 1994

Notes

1/ A/48/841.

2/ See A/48/905.