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resolution 1559 was withdrawn.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number of proposals were withdrawn that presage further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