UNIFIL – Financing – SecGen report

Financing of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in the Middle East:

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

Report of the Secretary-General

Addendum

    Contents 

 I.  Introduction

 1.   The Security Council, by its resolution 1068 (1996) of 30 July 1996, has extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to 31 January 1997.

 2.   The financial provision for the period from 1 February to 30 June 1996 to maintain the operation of UNIFIL was approved by the General Assembly in its resolutions 50/89 A of 19 December 1995 and 50/89 B of 7 June 1996, which appropriated to the Special Account for UNIFIL the total amount of $53,874,000 gross ($52,448,000 net) for the period from 1 February to 30 June 1996. 

 II.   Financial performance report for the period from 1 February to 30 June 1996

  3.   Annex I, column 1, sets out by budget line item the cost estimates totalling $53,874,000 gross ($52,448,000 net) for maintaining UNIFIL for the period from 1 February to 30 June 1996, as contained in annex I to document A/50/543 of 11 October 1995. The cost estimates reflect the apportionment of the resources provided to UNIFIL for the period. The expenditures recorded for the period amount to $51,010,500 gross ($49,768,300 net) and are shown in column 2. Related unliquidated obligations for the period are shown in column 3. Savings or overruns that reflect differences between the apportionment of resources and the actual expenditures are shown in column 4 and result in an unencumbered balance of $2,863,500 gross ($2,679,700 net).

 4.   Supplementary information on the financial performance report is presented by budget line item in annex II. The authorized staffing, incumbency and vacancy rates for civilian and military personnel for the reporting period are shown in annex IV.

 5.   The reported expenditures during the period were less than their estimated costs and resulted in savings under military personnel costs ($876,800), civilian personnel costs ($1,104,800), transport operations ($748,000), air operations ($11,400), other equipment ($160,600), supplies and services ($61,600) and staff assessment ($183,800).

 6.   The above savings were realized mainly from lower than estimated rotation costs in respect of military personnel, a high vacancy rate due to slow replacement of UNIFIL international staff reassigned to other peacekeeping missions and the transfer of vehicles, equipment and generators from other missions. 

 7.   However, the reported expenditures during the period were higher than their estimated costs and resulted in overruns under premises/accommodation ($149,600), communications ($109,000) and air and surface freight ($24,900).

 8.   The above overruns were mainly due to inclusion of the amount of $131,750 under construction/prefabricated buildings to cover the cost of immediate repairs to damages at the Qana camps as a result of the conflict in April 1996, urgent requirements for communications equipment due to the apparent deficiencies in communication during the conflict in April 1996 and additional freight costs for shipments from the United Nations Logistics Base at Brindisi during the reporting period.

 III.   Report on damages resulting from the incident at Qana on 18 April 1996 

 9.   In paragraph 7 of its resolution 50/89 B, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to include in his next report on the financing of UNIFIL a full evaluation of damages resulting from the incident that occurred at the headquarters of the Force at Qana on 18 April 1996 and the costs thereof.

 10.   UNIFIL has completed a full review of the damages resulting from the incident that occurred at Qana and the surrounding area on 18 April 1996 and identified the total costs directly attributable to the incident at $893,319, comprising $552,474 in damages to the headquarters compound of the Fijian battalion and $340,845 in damages sustained in other surrounding positions in the UNIFIL area of operations. From the resources provided to UNIFIL for the period under review, $131,750 was utilized for immediate repairs to premises. The total of $893,319 excludes the costs associated with the relocation of the Fijian battalion headquarters.

 11.   A breakdown by main budget line item of these costs is provided in annex III. Column 1 relates to cost of damage in Qana ($552,474), while column 2 relates to cost of damages in other UNIFIL areas of operations ($340,845). Column 3 shows the total cost of damages ($893,319).

 12.   The amount shown under military personnel ($167,964) covers the cost of replacing damaged welfare equipment and the cost of medical treatment and drugs for injured military personnel. The amount shown under premises/accommodation ($350,489), covers the repair of damaged buildings and roads and the disposal of explosive ordnance. For transport operations, the amount ($114,367) covers the repair of damaged military- and civilian-pattern vehicles, as well as additional petrol, oil and lubricants and costs due to the extra mileage recorded for vehicles and armoured personnel carriers needed to provide for escorts and humanitarian support activities. The air operations amount ($120,564) represents the cost of additional hours flown for sorties attributable to the incident. Communications costs ($15,732) are for the repair and replacement of damaged or lost civilian communication and workshop equipment. Other equipment requirements ($68,347) relate to the need to replace lost and damaged office furniture and equipment, observation and surveillance equipment, petrol, oil and lubricant equipment, medical equipment and accommodation equipment. The amount under supplies and services ($55,256) covers the loss of personal effects, miscellaneous supplies, post-exchange stock, sanitation material, food items and water for humanitarian use. Air and surface freight requirements ($600) are for demurrage and freight penalties incurred.

 13.   Subsequent to the incident at Qana, it was determined that it would no longer be operationally acceptable for a battalion headquarters to be located within a town that had since grown in population to encompass a headquarters position originally sited on the outskirts of the town. For this reason, it has been decided to relocate the Fijian battalion. It is estimated that the costs associated with relocating the Fijian battalion will total $880,300. 

 14.   It is planned that the repair and relocation of Fijian battalion headquarters will be carried out in three phases. Phase I involved the immediate repair of the existing location. Phase II will involve the relocation of tactical headquarters, which will be carried out from July 1996 to June 1997. Phase III will involve the relocation of the Fijian battalion headquarters, which will take place between July and December 1997.

 IV.   Action to be taken by the General Assembly at its fifty-first session 

 15.   The action to be taken by the General Assembly at its fifty-first session in connection with the financing of UNIFIL is as follows: a decision to credit Member States their respective share in the unencumbered balance of $2,863,500 gross ($2,679,700 net) for the period from 1 February to 30 June 1996. 

   Annex I

    Financial performance report for the period from 1 February to 30 June 1996:

    summary statement

   (Thousands of United States dollars) 

   Annex II

    Financial performance report for the period from 1 February to 30 June 1996:

    supplementary information

   (United States dollars)

 Savings/(overruns) 

 1.   Military personnel costs

   (a)  Military observers  …………………………………………………….X

 1.   No provision was made under this heading.

   (b)  Military contingents…………………………………………………….  876 800

 2.   Total savings of $951,300 were realized under rations ($151, 700), emplacement, rotation and repatriation of troops ($790,900) and travel and subsistence allowance ($8,700). These savings were offset in part by additional requirements under welfare ($73,500) and daily allowance ($1,000).

 3.   The amount allocated for standard troop cost reimbursement was fully obligated for this period.

 4.   Savings under rations were due to the fact that actual cost was lower than the original estimate. A comparison of the budgeted amounts and the actual costs is shown in table 1 below.

Table 1

Rations 

 5.   The actual cost of rotation was lower than originally estimated, resulting in savings for emplacement, rotation and repatriation of troops. A comparison of budgeted and actual costs is shown in table 2 below.

Table 2

Rotation costs 

 6.   While provision was made for duty travel within the mission area, including travel of aircrew, regular supply transport trips, inspection visits and travel of staff officers, actual travel undertaken during the period was lower than anticipated.

 7.   The additional requirement under welfare was due to payments related to recreational leave of various contingents in the previous financial period.

 8.   The additional requirement under daily allowance was due to a slight overlap in troop strength during the period.

 9.   The amount allocated for clothing and equipment has been fully obligated for this period.

   (c)  Other costs pertaining to military personnel   …………………………………………………….X

 10.   The amount allocated for contingent-owned equipment has been fully obligated to cover potential claims.

 11.   The amount allocated for death and disability compensation has been fully obligated to cover potential claims for this period.

 2.   Civilian personnel costs

   (a)  Civilian police  …………………………………………………….X

 12.   No provision was made under this heading.

   (b)   International and local staff  …………………………………………………….1 104 800

 13.   Total savings of $1,232,900 were realized under international staff salaries ($493,200), local staff salaries ($231,500), overtime ($21,800), common staff costs ($452,700) and other travel costs ($33,700). These savings were offset in part by additional requirements under general temporary assistance ($128,100).

 14.   Savings under international staff salaries were due mainly to the average vacancy rate of 11 per cent for Professional staff and 10 per cent for other international staff (General Service/Field Service) experienced during this period, as shown in annex IV.

 15.   Savings under local staff salaries were due mainly to the average vacancy rate of 18 per cent experienced during this period, as shown in annex IV. 

 16.   Savings were the result of strict implementation of the policy to control overtime and grant compensatory time off in lieu thereof.

 17.   Savings under common staff costs were attributable to the average vacancy rate of staffing as indicated in paragraphs 14 and 15 above.

 18.   Savings under other travel costs were attributable to efforts to ensure that only the most essential travel was undertaken.

 19.   The additional requirement for general temporary assistance was due to the need to hire additional staff employed on special service agreements at the average rate of $739 per person per month, as immediate replacements for international staff who were reassigned to other missions.

   (c)   International contractual personnel  …………………………………………………….X

 20.   No provision was made under this heading.

   (d)   United Nations Volunteers   …………………………………………………….X

 21.   No provision was made under this heading.

   (e)   Government-provided personnel   …………………………………………………….X

 22.   No provision was made under this heading.

   (f)   Civilian electoral observers   …………………………………………………….X

 23.   No provision was made under this heading.

 3.  Premises/accommodation   …………………………………………………….(149 600)

 24.   Total savings of $9,100 were realized under rental of premises ($3,400), maintenance services ($2,100) and construction/prefabricated buildings ($3,600). Additional expenditures were incurred, however, for maintenance supplies ($152,600) and utilities ($6,100).

 25.   Savings under rental of premises were mainly due to the lower than estimated cost of rental of UNIFIL House in Beirut. Table 3 below shows the breakdown of the budgeted amount and actual expenditures incurred during the reporting period.

Table 3

Rental of premises 

 26.   Savings under maintenance services were caused by actual costs being slightly lower than estimated.

 27.   Gross savings of $135,350 were realized under construction/prefabricated buildings owing to the non-acquisition of ablution and kitchen units, which were obtained instead from the United Nations Logistics Base at Brindisi and from other missions. Of that amount, $131,750 was utilized for immediate repairs to the premises as a result of the conflict that occurred on 18 April 1996; the net savings under this heading are therefore $3,600.

 28.   Additional requirements under maintenance supplies were due to the need to repair 50 ablution units and 11 accommodation units from Mombasa that were received in unsuitable condition. Other ablution units, which were beyond economical repair, were cannibalized for spare parts.

 29.   Additional requirements for utilities were due to higher consumption of electricity provided by the local power supplier as a result of the lower usage of generators during this period.

 4.  Infrastructure repairs   …………………………………………………….X

 30.   No provision was made under this heading.

 5.  Transport operations   …………………………………………………….748 000

 31.  Total savings of $87 2,500 were realized under purchase of vehicles ($841,300), workshop equipment ($5,700), spare parts, repairs and maintenance ($19,300) and petrol, oil and lubricants ($6,200), which were offset in part by additional requirements under vehicle insurance ($124,500).

 32.   Savings under purchase of vehicles were due to the non-acquisition of some vehicles as a result of the transfer of vehicles from other missions. A breakdown of vehicles budgeted and actually purchased is shown in table 4 below.

Table 4

Vehicles 

 33.   Savings under workshop equipment were due to the fact that the actual cost of equipment was lower than budgeted.

 34.   Savings under spare parts, repairs and maintenance were due to other actual costs being lower than budgeted.

 35.   Savings under petrol, oil and lubricants were due to lower consumption of petrol-benzine and lubricants. These savings, however, were offset by additional expenditures incurred for diesel and kerosene. Table 5 below shows budgeted and actual costs under this heading.

Table 5

Petrol, oil and lubricants 

 36.   The additional requirement for vehicle insurance was due to the increased cost of premiums carried over from previous mandate periods.

 6.  Air operations 

    (a)  Helicopter operations ……………………………………………………. 11 400

 37.   Savings under aviation fuel and lubricants were due to lower consumption and cost of fuel. Actual usage and costs amounted to 136,817 litres at approximately $156 per 1,000 litres as compared with the budgeting assumptions of 181,500 litres at $162 per 1,000 litres.

 38.   While third party liability insurance was estimated at $77,000, the actual cost was $73,200, resulting in savings of $3,800.

   (b)   Fixed-wing aircraft   …………………………………………………….X

 39.   No provision was made under this heading.

   (c)   Aircrew subsistence allowance   …………………………………………………….X

 40.   No provision was made under this heading.

   (d)  Other air operations  …………………………………………………….X

 41.   No provision was made under this heading.

 7.  Naval operations   …………………………………………………….X

 42.  No provision was made under this heading.

 8.  Communications

   (a)   Complementary communications  …………………………………………………….(109 000)

 43.   Additional requirements under communications equipment (52,200, workshop and test equipment ($10,200) and commercial communications ($54,300) were offset in part by savings under spare parts and supplies ($7,700).

 44.   Owing to the deficiencies in communications experienced during the conflict in April 1996 when Headquarters could not contact key personnel during the crisis, UNIFIL urgently purchased additional communications equipment for which budgetary provision had not been made. In order for the 26 TFM-armoured personnel carriers to be operational, 26 GM-300 radios were purchased for $9,880 (received by UNIFIL in April 1996). Twenty handi-talkies for $9,650, 15 pagers for $9,000, a voice-logging system for $10,238 and a digital microwave link for $13,408 were also acquired.

 45.   Additional requirements under workshop and test equipment were due to the purchase of urgently needed tool boxes for which budgetary provision had not been made ($8,231) and a signal generator that cost $2,000 more than the original estimate.

 46.   The additional requirements under commercial communications resulted from the settlement of invoices relating to prior mandate periods for Intelsat ($21,250) and the purchase of a new digital telephone exchange that is part of the programme to modernize the UNIFIL communications system ($33,050). This direct-in-dialling facility provides direct dialling to extensions in t he mission area.

 47.   The actual cost of spare parts and supplies was lower than estimated, resulting in savings during this period.

   (b)  Main trunking contact  …………………………………………………….X 

 48.   No provision was made under this heading.

 9.  Other equipment  …………………………………………………….160 600

 49.  Total savings of $194,800 were realized for generators ($69,000), observation equipment ($17,900), medical and dental equipment ($300), accommodation equipment ($98,800) and spare parts, repairs and maintenance ($8,800). Those savings were offset in part by additional requirements under office furniture and equipment ($13,500), data-processing equipment ($12,600) and miscellaneous equipment ($8,100).

 50.   Savings under generators were due to the transfer of 159 generator sets from the United Nations Peace Forces as reported in the financial performance report for the period from 1 February 1995 to 31 January 1996 (A/51/535), annex II, para. 43).

 51.   Savings under observation equipment were due mainly to the lower than estimated cost of night-vision devices.

 52.   Savings under medical and dental equipment resulted from the actual cost being lower than the original estimate.

 53.   Provision was made for upgrading and re-equipping the facilities in two main kitchens in Naqoura camp. Owing to difficulties encountered with the bidding process, that project was deferred, resulting in savings under accommodation equipment.

 54.   Savings under spare parts, repairs and maintenance arose owing to the non-acquisition of spare parts for equipment as a result of sufficient stocks being available.

 55.   Additional unbudgeted requirements under office furniture and equipment were due to the replacement of 11 fax machines, 8 photocopiers and 2 shredders that could no longer be repaired owing to the unavailability of spare parts. 

 56.   Additional requirements for electronic data-processing equipment were due to the purchase of five laptop computers to permit staff to work at home. With the border closing at 1800 hours, it became necessary for personnel to work at home, since they could not stay at work beyond normal office hours. 

 57.   The actual cost of replacing the fire-fighting equipment and engineering tools was higher than estimated under miscellaneous equipment.

 10.  Supplies and services

   (a)   Miscellaneous services  …………………………………………………….30 900

 58.   Savings totalling $32,600 were realized under contractual services ($2,400), medical treatment and services ($19,900) and miscellaneous other services ($10,300). Those savings were offset in part by additional requirements for security services ($400) and claims and adjustments ($1,300).

 59.   Savings under contractual services were due to lower use of laundry and dry-cleaning, haircutting, cesspit cleaning and other contractual services. However, those savings were offset by additional requirements for cleaning services and garbage collection. Budgetary provision had not been made for garbage collection, as those services were previously provided by military personnel. As a result of the streamlining of military personnel, the function of garbage collection was instead contracted out to three civilian contractors during the reporting period. A comparison of budgeted and actual costs is shown in table 6 below.

Table 6

Contractual services 

 60.   Savings under medical treatment and services were due to military personnel being treated at the Hammoud Hospital in Saida, which charged lower fees than other hospitals in the area.

 61.  The additional requirement for claims and adjustments was due to payments made to the Government of Ireland for the loss and damage of personal effects of five Irish contingent personnel on 3 November 1994.

 62.   Savings under miscellaneous other services were attributed mainly to less use of postage by military personnel during this period.

 63.   The additional requirement under security services was due to the slightly higher than budgeted cost of those services.

   (b)   Miscellaneous supplies…………………………………………………….  30 700

 64.   Total savings under stationery and office supplies ($2,200), medical supplies ($11,300), uniform items, flags and decals ($49,100), field defence stores ($3,200) and quartermaster and general stores ($11,900) were offset in part by additional requirements under sanitation and cleaning materials ($43,900) and subscriptions ($3,100).

 65.   Savings under stationery and office supplies, medical supplies and quartermaster and general stores were due to the lower than estimated cost of acquiring the items under these headings.

 66.   Savings under uniform items, flags and decals were due to the non-acquisition of fragmentation jackets.

 67.   Under-expenditures for field defence stores were due to insufficient resources to complete all planning requirements since the incident in April 1996, which diverted resources to the resultant damages.

 68.   Hygiene inspection reports completed in December 1995 and January 1996 indicated a level of sanitary supplies and materials that was inadequate to meet minimum hygiene standards for the mission. As a result, additional expenditures were incurred on sanitation and cleaning materials.

 69.   The additional requirements for subscriptions were due to the need to lease news services provided to the mission by Reuters. This news service is a valuable source of information on events in the Middle East, and the information received is used in briefings of the Force Commander and mission personnel.

 11.  Election-related supplies and services  …………………………………………………….X

 12.   Public information programmes   …………………………………………………….X

 13.   Training programmes   …………………………………………………….X

 14.   Mine-clearing programmes   …………………………………………………….X

 15.   Assistance for disarmament and demobilization   …………………………………………………….X

 70.   No provision was made under these headings.

 16.  Air and surface freight   …………………………………………………….(24 900)

 71.   The additional requirement of $24,900 under commercial freight and cartage relates to the cost of shipments from the United Nations Logistics Base at Brindisi during the period.

 17.   Integrated Management Information System   …………………………………………………….X

 72.   Provision made under this heading was not allotted.

 18.   Support account for peace-keeping operations   …………………………………………………….X

 73.   The amount authorized has been transferred to the support account for peacekeeping operations.

 19.  Staff assessment  …………………………………………………….183 800

 74.  Savings were due to the vacancy rate for civilian personnel as mentioned in paragraph 14 above and reflected in annex IV.

 20.  Income  …………………………………………………….(183 800)

 75.   This amount is derived from item 19 above.

   Annex III

    Identified costs associated with damages resulting from the incident that occurred at Qana on 18 April 1996

   (United States dollars)

 ^a Fiji headquarters position 1-20 (Qana).

 ^b Nepalese battalion positions 5-18, 5-12 A, 5-12 B, 5-10 and Naqoura camp.

   Annex IV

    Authorized staffing, incumbency and vacancy rates for the period from 1 February to 30 June 1996 

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