UNDOF – Finance – SecGen report/Addendum

  FINANCING OF THE UNITED NATIONS PEACE-KEEPING FORCES

 IN THE MIDDLE EAST

  United Nations Disengagement Observer Force

 Report of the Secretary-General 

 Addendum 

CONTENTS

 I. INTRODUCTION

1.   The General Assembly, in paragraph 12 of its resolution 49/225 of 23 December 1994, requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly, through the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, a financial performance report for the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) for the period from 1 December 1993 to 30 November 1994. The present report is submitted in accordance with that request.

2.   In annex I, the apportionment of resources provided to UNDOF, as shown in column 1, is compared with the actual expenditure shown in column 2 for the period from 1 December 1993 to 30 November 1994 by budget line item. The savings or overruns in column 3 reflect the difference between the original apportionment and actual expenditure, resulting in an unencumbered balance in the amount of $805,000 gross ($891,000 net).

3.   The actual expenditure when compared with the estimated expenditure presented in the previous financial performance (A/49/553, annex I, column 2), shows an overestimation of expenditure of $432,000 in the original report. That reduction in recorded expenditure for the period is due for the most part to the projected expenditures through the end of the mandate period that were included in the data at the time of the preparation of the report in July 1994. The differences shown between the estimated and the actual expenditures confirm the view that performance reports should be prepared only after the relevant financial period has ended, when actual data in expenditure become available.

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 III. Distribution of civilian and military personnel, as well as transportation and major equipment, by geographical location as at 30 November 1994 are reflected in annexes IV, V and VI, respectively.

 II. STATUS OF ASSESSED CONTRIBUTIONS

5.   As at 31 March 1995, total amount of $1,084.4 million had been appropriated for UNDOF and the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) for the period from inception to 30 November 1994. The assessment among Member States in respect of UNDOF and UNEF for that period is $1,057.6 million. Contributions received for the period amounted to $996.2 million. The outstanding balance of $61.4 million includes an amount of $36 million transferred to a special account in accordance with General Assembly resolution 36/116 A of 10 December 1981 and an amount due of $25.4 million, as indicated in the status of contributions as at 31 March 1995. The following table summarizes the status of contributions for UNDOF for the period from its inception to 30 November 1994:

  Status of contributions for the period from inception to

 30 November 1994 as at 31 March 1995

  (Millions of United States dollars) 

 a/   UNEF from inception to liquidation in 1980, UNDOF from inception to 24 October 1979.

III. ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AT ITS FORTY-NINTH SESSION

6.   The action to be taken by the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session in connection with the future financing of UNDOF is as follows: a decision to credit to Member States the amount of the unencumbered balance of $891,000 for the period from 1 December 1993 to 30 November 1994 against their assessments in respect of such future mandate period(s) as may be approved by the Security Council.

 ANNEX I

  Financial performance report for the period from

 1 December 1993 to 30 November 1994

 Summary statement 

  (Thousands of United States dollars)

  ANNEX II

  Financial performance report for the period from

 1 December 1993 to 30 November 1994

  Supplementary information

  (United States dollars)

 Savings/

 (overrun)

1.  Military personnel costs   ………………………………….  15 000

 (a)  Military observers   …………………………………..  –

 (b)  Military contingents   …………………………………  (39 000)

1.   The overexpenditure under this heading was a result of higher requirements for standard troop cost reimbursement ($171,000) due to the delayed departure of the Finnish contingent in December 1993, to additional ration costs ($78,000) to replenish UNDOF's provisions inventory to a level sufficient to sustain operations while newly sought commercial ration contracts were being established, and to slightly higher than anticipated travel costs ($8,000). Those overruns were offset in part by savings under rotation of contingents ($218,000) due to favourable commercial and government-provided aircraft service rates.

 (c)   Other costs pertaining to contingents  ………………….   54 000

2.   This saving was attributed to delays in the establishment of letters of assist for contingent-owned equipment, which would result in some deliveries being carried forward into the next mandate period. The amount allocated under this heading has been fully obligated to cover potential claims for death, disability or injury of military personnel.

2.  Civilian personnel costs ………………………………….  16 000

 (a)  Civilian police ……………………………………..  –

 (b)   International and local staff …………………………  16 000

3.   Savings totalling $155,000 from local staff salaries ($33,000), common staff costs ($118,000) and general temporary assistance ($4,000) were offset in part by additional requirements totalling $139,000 under international staff salaries ($93,000), overtime ($25,000) and other travel costs ($21,000). The savings under local staff salaries, common staff costs and general temporary assistance were attributable to vacancies, as reflected in annex III. Overexpenditure under international staff salaries was due to actual costs exceeding standard salary costs (Version 42). Moreover, the actual salary levels of international staff on board were higher than average. Higher requirements under overtime and other travel costs were a result of the peak workload associated with moving UNDOF headquarters to Camp Faouar. While the cost estimate for international staff salaries and common staff costs were based on a vacancy rate of 5 per cent, general temporary assistance was based on a zero vacancy rate.

 (c)  International contractual personnel ……………………  –

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

 (e)   Government-provided personnel ………………………… –

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

3.  Premises/accommodation ……………………………………  112 000

4.   Savings under this heading were attributed to a decrease in requirements for rental of premises ($91,000) as a result of the relocation of UNDOF headquarters from Damascus to Camp Faouar. Additional savings under maintenance supplies and services ($60,000) were realized because of lower project costs. Those savings were offset slightly by overexpenditure under construction/ prefabricated buildings ($39,000) resulting from an increase in the cost of local construction and building materials as enacted by the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic effective 1 May 1994.

4.  Infrastructure repairs ……………………………………  –

5.  Transport operations ……………………………………..  212 000

5.   A total savings of $212,000 was reported under purchase of vehicles ($49,000), workshop equipment ($34,000), spare parts, repairs and maintenance ($26,000) and petrol, oil and lubricants ($103,000). Savings resulted from procurement delays for one forklift, related workshop equipment and spare parts, as well as conservation of petrol, oil and lubricants resulting from lengthy non-availability of vehicles due to intensive maintenance requirements of ageing vehicles.

6.   During the reporting period, $123,000 was utilized for the acquisition of one fuel truck ($53,850), one water truck ($63,900) and for the freight cost of approximately $5,250 for one light cargo truck transferred from the United Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC). A comparison of the number and type of vehicles as per the original configuration and those actually purchased in the current financial period is shown in the table below:

 a/  From the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observer Mission (UNIKOM). 

6.  Air operations …………………………………………..  –

7.  Naval operations …………………………………………  –

8.  Communications …………………………………………..  41 000

 (a)  Complementary communications ………………………….  41 000

7.   Savings under spare parts and supplies ($68,000) and workshop and test equipment ($34,000) were due to delays in procurement. Those savings were offset by slightly higher than expected commercial communications usage ($8,000) and an overrun in communications equipment ($53,000) due to delayed procurement of the satellite earth station, which although budgeted for procurement in 1992/93, was only contracted for in 1993/94 as a result of administrative delays.

 (b)  Main trunking contract ………………………………    –

9.   Other equipment …………………………………………   394 000

8.   Savings were realized in the categories of office furniture and equipment ($32,000), generators ($130,000), observation equipment ($84,000), medical and dental equipment ($39,000), accommodation equipment ($23,000) and spare parts, repairs and maintenance ($86,000). Requisitions for items such as generators, binoculars, refrigerators and kitchen equipment were submitted towards the end of the mandate period. Actual procurement and delivery of those items were accomplished during the subsequent mandate period, resulting in savings during the period under review.

10.   Supplies and services ……………………………………   99 000

9.   Savings under security services ($24,000) were due to lower requirements attributed to the relocation of headquarters from Damascus to Camp Faouar. Savings under medical and dental supplies ($29,000) were due to lower than anticipated requirements. Also, savings under quartermaster and general stores ($58,000) resulted from the mild winter, creating a lower than normal demand for a variety of heating fuels. An additional requirement of $12,000 under uniform items, flags and decals was due to slightly higher commercial prices.

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

12.   Public information programmes …………………………….  –

13.  Training programmes ……………………………………..  –

14.  Mine-clearing programmes …………………………………  –

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

16.  Air and surface freight ………………………………….  –

10.   The authorized amount was sufficient to cover the costs under this item.

17.   Integrated Management Information System ……………………  –

11.   The amount authorized for IMIS has been fully utilized.

18.   Support account for peace-keeping operations ………………..   2 000

12.   The amount of $409,000 has been transferred to the support account for peace-keeping operations. Savings under this heading resulted from overall vacancies in staffing of civilian personnel.

19.  Staff assessment …………………………………………  (86 000)

13.   The overrun under this heading resulted from actual costs being higher than standard salary costs (Version 42). Moreover the actual salary levels of international staff on board were higher than average.

  ANNEX III

  Authorized staffing, incumbency and vacancy rates for the period from 

 1 December 1993 to 30 November 1994 

 ANNEX IV

  Distribution of civilian personnel by geographical

 location as at 30 November 1994 

ANNEX V

Distribution of military personnel by geographical

location as at 30 November 1994

 ANNEX VI

  Distribution of transportation and major equipment by

  geographical location as at 30 November 1994 

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