UN BUDGETS: ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION NEEDED FOR

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001252 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC KUNR PREL UNGA SUBJECT: UN BUDGETS: ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION NEEDED FOR SPECIAL POLITICAL MISSIONS This is an action request. Please see paragraph 9. ¶1. SUMMARY: In Security Council resolution 1662 (2006),the Council extended the mandate of UNAMA for one year until March 22, 2007, and the General Assembly approved $13,616,900 in funding for the Mission for the period of January 1 - March 31, 2006, in its resolution 60/255. The Secretary-General is requesting $52,109,700 for the period SIPDIS April 1 - December 31, 2006, to meet the operations and post requirements of UNAMA's revised mandate. In December 2005, the Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) for an additional 6 months and expanded the Commission's role, authorizing the Commission to extend technical assistance with regard to the investigations of the 14 other attacks perpetrated in Lebanon since October ¶2004. In its resolution 1677 (2006) of May 12, 2006, the Security Council, expressing deep concern of the events of April 28th and 29th, decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Office in Timor-Leste (UNOTIL) until June 20, ¶2006. Pending decisions by the Security Council, the Secretary-General has requested $17,189,000 for the period of SIPDIS June 16 - December 31, 2006, for UNIIIC and $4,997,200 for the period of June 21 - August 31, 2006, for UNOTIL. The additional resources sought for UNAMA, UNIIIC and UNOTIL will exceed the SPM spending cap. END SUMMARY. United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) -------------- -------------- ¶2. While Afghanistan has undergone a remarkable transformation in the last four years, it still faces enormous challenges in the areas of security, governance, rule of law and human rights, sustainable economic and social development, and combating the illegal narcotics industry. In response to these continued struggles, the UN initiated consultations with the Government of Afghanistan and its main international stakeholders on the framework for their continued cooperation, culminating in the launch of the Afghanistan Compact at the London Conference on Afghanistan, held from January 29 - February 1, 2006. The Afghanistan Compact set out an ambitious five-year peacebuilding agenda that provides for 40 measurable and time-bound benchmarks. ¶3. The most recent mandate of UNAMA reflects the results of the London Conference on Afghanistan, and includes the following: creation of a Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board, to be co-chaired by the Government of Afghanistan and the Mission; establishment of a Joint Mission Analysis Centre; reinforcement of the human rights capacity of the Mission; extension of the reach of regional offices through the creation of nine subregional offices. ¶4. To meet these requirements, additional staffing is needed in some areas. The total staffing of 1,510 proposed for April - December 2006 represents an increase of 365 positions. The proposed resource requirement for the nine months amounts to $54,890,600 to be offset by the unencumbered balance of $2,780,900 for the period 1 January to 31 March 2006. Following the application of the unallocated balance of $51,908,500 in the 2006-2007 provision for Special Political Missions, an assessment in the amount of $201,200 is required at this stage for UNAMA. ¶5. COMMENT: USUN has reviewed the revised budget for UNAMA and finds the resource requests to be strongly justified in light of the changed mandate for UNAMA and the situation in the ground. Furthermore, USUN was pleased to note the efforts by UNAMA to utilize existing facilities in the establishment of additional UNAMA offices and its efforts to cost-share facilities and services where they are co-located with other UN system entities. END COMMENT. United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) -------------- -------------- ¶6. As indicated in the Commission's third REPORT to the Security Council (S/2006/161),the Commission's work has entered a new phase of its operation. It is progressively obtaining a deeper understanding of the structural and political environment in which the crimes took place, establishing an enhanced capacity to pursue new lines of inquiry, and applying a methodological approach to ascertain the reliability of information obtained to corroborate new evidence. ¶7. Commensurate with the Commission's growing role in investigating these attacks, additional staff and resources are required. The total staffing proposal for the period of June 16 - December 31, 2006, comprises a total of 229 staff (179 international and 50 national),reflecting an increase of 53 positions (49 international and 4 national) from the total staffing level authorized for the previous period of January 1 - June 15, 2006. The proposed resource requirement for the six months amounts to $17,189,000 to be offset by the unencumbered balance of $3,006,200. It should be noted that the Government of Lebanon provides for the cost of office premises, valued at $1,752,000. United Nations Office in Timor-Leste (UNOTIL) -------------- ¶8. Pending a decision of the Security Council on the situation in Timor-Leste, resource requirements are sought for a technical roll over of the existing mandate of UNOTIL for the period of June 21 - August 31, 2006. By prorating the overall requirements for the period of January 1 - June 20, 2006, it is estimated that a total of $5,253,500 would be required for the upcoming period. Given the unencumbered balance of $256,300, the additional requirements would amount to $4,997,200. ¶9. ACTION REQUEST: The additional resources sought in 2006 for UNAMA, UNOTIL and UNIIIC exceed the allocation of $355,949,300 for SPMs in 2006-2007 by $19,381,200. Furthermore, the request for resources must be considered in light of the current $950 million spending cap for the regular budget, to which the financing of SPMs is subject. In light of these considerations, USUN requests guidance on the USG position on each of the respective budget requirements. BOLTON