UN - GA FUNDS SPECIAL POLITICAL MISSIONS FOR 2010

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000007 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC PREL UNGA SUBJECT: UN - GA FUNDS SPECIAL POLITICAL MISSIONS FOR 2010 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (U) Summary: On December 24, 2009, the Fifth (Administrative and Budgetary) Committee of the GA completed its consideration of the proposed 2010 budgets for 27 Special Political Missions (SPMs) by approving funding under the regular budget of $569.5 million, a reduction of $30 million (5%) in the SYG's proposal of $599.5 million. The $30 million reduction consists of $9.9 million to the proposed budget of UNAMA, $4.9 million to several other SPMs, and a reduction of $15.2 million to be applied to any/all SPMs at the discretion of the Secretariat. The budget includes $232 million for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) (see paragraph 3 below),$159 million for the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI),and $18 million and $19 million, respectively, for the new UN Integrated Peacebuilding Offices in the Central African Republic (BINUCA) and in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS). The budget of $569.5 million represents an increase of $129.7 million (29%) over the 2009 budget of $439.8 million with UNAMA and UNAMI accounting for over 65% of the budget. The $77.1 million increase in UNAMA's budget over 2009 accounts for 59% of the overall increase of $129.7 million. ¶2. (U) The Committee approved the SYG's request to use up to $7.9 million in UNAMA's budget during the first four months of 2010 to meet urgent security requirements for UN personnel in Afghanistan. (See paragraph 4.) The Committee also approved $5 million in commitment authority to enable the Secretariat to undertake design work for the construction of the UN integrated compound in Iraq. (See paragraph 5.) Language submitted by Syria calling for deletion of certain results-based budgeting elements in the proposed budget for Special Envoy Larsen for implementation of Security Council resolution 1559 was withdrawn. (See paragraphs 6-7.) A number of proposals were withdrawn that presage further discussions on these matters further in the session and/or future GAs. US statement delivered to the Committee on December 17, 2009 is posted on the Mission's web site - www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov. End Summary. ¶3. (SBU) UNAMA: Acting on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) (A/64/7/Add.13),the Committee reduced the proposed budget of $241.9 million by $9.9 million to $232 million. During the negotiations, USDel confirmed with the appropriate Secretariat officials that these and other possible reductions arising out of the additional amount of $15.2 million cut from the overall SPM budget would not undermine mandate implementation, including the opening of new provincial offices. As noted in the report of the ACABQ, additional resources would be made available during 2010, as necessary. ¶4. (U) Security for UN personnel in Afghanistan: In response to the request conveyed in the SYG's letter of December 9, 2009 (A/C.5/64/10) and as recommended by the ACABQ in the oral statement of its Chair to the Fifth Committee on December 17, 2009 (sent via email to IO/MPR), the Committee approved the use of up to $7.9 in UNAMA's budget during the first four months of 2010 to address the urgent need to enhance the level of security for all UN personnel working in Afghanistan. As indicated in the SYG's letter, he will submit a full funding proposal at the first resumed session of the Fifth Committee in March 2010 after an in-depth analysis of security-related requirements in Afghanistan and other countries is carried out. The Committee approved the advance use of the funds as a one-time ad hoc arrangement on the understanding that the funding would be replenished as necessary. ¶5. (U) UN integrated compound in Iraq: As reported in the proposed budget for UNAMI (A/64/349/Add.5 - paragraphs 117-128) and commented on in the report of the ACABQ (A/64/7/Add.13 - paragraphs 175-180),the Secretariat is now ready to move forward with the delayed construction project with the completion date being revised from October 2010 to mid-2012. With this in mind, the Fifth Committee approved the SYG's request for renewal of the previously authorized $5 million in commitment authority to enable the Secretariat to undertake design work for the construction of the compound and called on the SYG to submit an updated report on the financial requirements for construction of the compound to the 65th GA. Note: as reported in paragraph 126 of the proposed budget for UNAMI, while a trust fund has been established to receive the $25 million contribution the Iraqi Cabinet has decided to make towards building the compound, the Government of Iraq has not yet transferred the funds. End Note. ¶6. (U) Special Envoy for Implementation of SCR 1559 (Terje Roed-Larsen): As has occurred in previous negotiations on the proposed budgets for the Special Envoy and for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),the Syrian delegation politicized the work of the Committee by objecting to the Secretariat's analysis of the mandates in SC resolutions 1559, 1680 and 1701 as conveyed in the results-based budgeting (RBB) elements or "logical frameworks" contained in the 2009 proposed budget for the Special Envoy (A/64/349/Add.1). Syria submitted the following paragraph in the draft on financing the 27 SPMs: "Decides to delete the expected accomplishment (c), associated indicators of achievement, performance measures and outputs in the logic framework of the budget of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1559 (2004);" ¶7. (SBU) Note: A GA decision to actually amend or delete RBB logical framework elements contained in a proposed budget for an SC authorized mission could be interpreted as constituting a reinterpretation of the mandate as decided by the Security Council and thus undermine the role of the Council. End Note. USDel successfully worked to ensure that Lebanon did not align itself with Syria and communicated its views to other G-77 members. The G-77 did not take a position on Syria's language, Syria was isolated, and was forced to withdraw its paragraph. ¶8. (U) During the negotiations, the EU submitted language and advocated for a 10% reduction of $60 million to the proposed budget while Mexico called for a 12.5% reduction of $75 million. ¶9. (U) The African Group submitted language requesting the SYG to present proposals to the 65th GA for establishing a separate account for SPMs. Mexico called for a separate account to be set up for SPMs in 2011 with SPMs being funded under the peacekeeping scale. In the end, USDel and others noted that the SYG, in his statement to the Committee on October 29, 2009 and elsewhere, cited "the need for an alternative funding arrangement for Special Political Missions" as one of his three priorities for streamlining the UN budget process and noted his intention to submit a report containing such a proposal during the 64th GA for consideration in the 65th GA. RICE