UNDOF/Financing – GA resolution

48/253.  Financing of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force

The General Assembly,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the financing of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, and the related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,

Bearing in mind Security Council resolution 350 (1974) of 31 May 1974, by which the Council established the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, and the subsequent resolutions by which the Council extended the mandate of the Force, the latest of which was resolution 887 (1993) of 29 November 1993,

Recalling its resolution 3211 B (XXIX) of 29 November 1974 on the financing of the United Nations Emergency Force and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force and its subsequent resolutions thereon, the latest of which was resolution 47/204 of 22 December 1992, and its decisions 48/463 A of 23 December 1993 and 48/463 B of 5 April 1994,

Reaffirming that the costs of the United Nations Disengagement Observer 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 decisions regarding the fact that, in order to meet the expenditures caused by the United Nations Disengagement Observer 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 United Nations Disengagement Observer Force with the necessary financial resources to enable it to fulfil its responsibilities under the relevant resolutions of the Security Council,

Concerned that the surplus balances in the Special Account for the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force 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. 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;

2. Notes the assurances given by the Secretariat that such a situation will not be repeated;

3. Expresses deep concern about the status of contributions to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force as at 31 March 1994, including the contributions outstanding in the amount of 20,956,112 United States dollars;

4. Expresses 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 Disengagement Observer Force;

5. 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;

6. 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;

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

9. Requests the Secretary-General to take all necessary action to ensure that the United Nations Disengagement Observer 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;

10. Urges all Member States to make every possible effort to ensure payment of their assessed contributions to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force promptly and in full;

11. 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 peace-keeping operations to implement their activities effectively;

12. Notes with appreciation that a voluntary contribution has been made to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force by a Government;

13. Decides to appropriate to the Special Account referred to in section II, paragraph 1, of General Assembly resolution 3211 B (XXIX) the amount of 18,204,000 dollars gross (17,718,000 dollars net) authorized and apportioned by the Assembly in paragraph 7 of its resolution 47/204 for the operation of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force for the period from 1 June to 30 November 1993, inclusive;

14. Decides also to appropriate to the Special Account an amount of 16,080,000 dollars gross (15,594,000 dollars net) for the period from 1 December 1993 to 31 May 1994, authorized by the General Assembly in its decisions 48/463 A and B;

15. Decides further, as an ad hoc arrangement, to apportion the amount referred to in paragraph 14 above among Member States in accordance with the composition of groups set out in paragraphs 3 and 4 of General 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;

16. Decides that there shall be set off against the apportionment among Member States, as provided for in paragraph 15 above, total estimated income of 486,000 dollars approved for the period from 1 December 1993 to 31 May 1994, inclusive, comprising their respective share in the Tax Equalization Fund of staff assessment income (478,500 dollars) and other income (7,500 dollars);

17. Decides also 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 706,000 dollars gross (640,000 dollars net) for the period from 1 December 1992 to 30 November 1993, inclusive;

18. Authorizes the Secretary-General to enter into commitments for the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force at a rate not to exceed 2,680,000 dollars gross (2,599,000 dollars net) per month for the period of six months from 1 June 1994, should the Security Council decide to continue the Force beyond the period of six months authorized in its resolution 887 (1993), the said amount to be apportioned among Member States in accordance with the scheme set out in the present resolution;

19.   Requests the Secretary-General to submit the budget proposals for the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force for the next financial period, including a comprehensive performance report, no later than 15 November 1994;

20. Also requests the Secretary-General to include in his next report to the General Assembly on the financing of the United Nations Disengagement Observer 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;

21. Decides, pending the receipt of the report, to postpone action on the recommendation contained in paragraph 6 of the report of the Advisory Committee;

22. Invites voluntary contributions to the United Nations Disengagement Observer 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;

23. Requests the Secretary-General to take all necessary action to ensure that all United Nations activities related to the United Nations Disengagement Observer 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;

24. 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 Disengagement Observer Force".

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