Resolution 54/267
(June 15, 2000)
The General
Assembly,
Reaffirming its resolutions 51/233 of 13 June 1997, 52/237 of 26 June 1998 and
53/227 of 8 June 1999,
Having considered the reports of the Secretary-General on the financing of the United
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon 1/
and the related reports of the Advisory Committee on Administrative
and Budgetary Questions, 2/
Bearing in mind Security Council resolution 425 (1978) of 19 March 1978, by which the
Council established the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, and
the subsequent resolutions by which the Council extended the mandate
of the Force, the latest of which was resolution 1288 (2000) of 31
January 2000,
Recalling its resolution S-8/2 of 21 April 1978 on the financing of the Force
and its subsequent resolutions thereon, the latest of which was
resolution 53/227,
Reaffirming that the costs of the 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 Force, a different procedure is required
from that 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,
Noting with appreciation that voluntary contributions have been made to the Force,
Mindful of the fact that it is essential to provide the Force with the
necessary financial resources to enable it to fulfil its
responsibilities under the relevant resolutions of the Security
Council,
Concerned that the Secretary-General continues to face difficulties in meeting
the obligations of the Force on a current basis, including
reimbursement to current and former troop-contributing States,
Concerned also that the surplus balances in the Special Account for the United
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon have been used to meet 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,
1. Takes
note of the status of
contributions to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon as at 30
April 2000, including the contributions outstanding in the amount of
122.5 million United States dollars, representing some 4 per cent of
the total assessed contributions from the inception of the Force to
the period ending 30 June 2000, notes that some 18 per cent of the
Member States have paid their assessed contributions in full, and
urges all other Member States concerned, in particular those in
arrears, to ensure payment of their outstanding assessed
contributions;
2. Expresses
its deep concern that Israel
did not comply with General Assembly resolutions 51/233, 52/237 and
53/227;
3. Stresses
once again that Israel should
strictly abide by General Assembly resolutions 51/233, 52/237 and
53/227;
4. Expresses
its appreciation to those
Member States which have paid their assessed contributions in full;
5. Expresses
concern about the financial
situation with regard to peacekeeping activities, in particular as
regards the reimbursements to troop contributors that bear additional
burdens owing to overdue payments by Member States of their
assessments;
6. Urges all other Member States to make every possible effort to ensure
payment of their assessed contributions to the Force in full and on
time;
7. Expresses
concern at the delay
experienced by the Secretary-General in deploying and providing
adequate resources to some recent peacekeeping missions, in
particular those in Africa;
8. Emphasizes that all future and existing peacekeeping missions shall be given
equal and non-discriminatory treatment in respect of financial and
administrative arrangements;
9. Also
emphasizes that all
peacekeeping missions shall be provided with adequate resources for
the effective and efficient discharge of their respective mandates;
10. Requests the Secretary-General to make the fullest possible use of facilities
and equipment at the United Nations Logistics Base at Brindisi,
Italy, in order to minimize the costs of procurement for the Force,
and for this purpose requests the Secretary-General to speed up the
implementation of the asset management system at all peacekeeping
missions in accordance with General Assembly resolution 52/1 A of 15
October 1997;
11. Endorses the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report of the
Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, 3/
and requests the Secretary-General to ensure their full
implementation;
12. Requests the Secretary-General to take all necessary action to ensure that the
Force is administered with a maximum of efficiency and economy;
13. Also
requests the
Secretary-General, in order to reduce the cost of employing General
Service staff, to continue efforts to recruit local staff for the
Force against General Service posts, commensurate with the
requirements of the Force;
14. Reiterates
its request to the
Secretary-General to take the necessary measures to ensure the full
implementation of paragraph 8 of General Assembly resolution 51/233,
paragraph 5 of resolution 52/237 and paragraph 11 of resolution
53/227, stresses once again that Israel shall pay the amount of
1,284,633 dollars resulting from the incident at Qana on 18 April
1996, and requests the Secretary-General to report on this matter to
the Assembly at its fifty-fifth session;
15. Decides to appropriate to the Special Account for the United Nations Interim
Force in Lebanon the amount of 146,833,694 dollars gross (141,889,841
dollars net) for the maintenance of the Force for the period from1
July 2000 to 30 June 2001, inclusive of the amount of 6,967,059
dollars gross (5,895,590 dollars net) for the support account for
peacekeeping operations and the amount of 1,089,216 dollars gross
(969,161 dollars net) for the United Nations Logistics Base;
16. Decides
also, as an ad hoc
arrangement, to apportion among Member States the amount of
12,236,141 dollars gross (11,824,153 dollars net) for the period from
1 to 31 July 2000, 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, 47/218 A of 23 December 1992, 49/249 A of 20 July
1995, 49/249 B of 14 September 1995, 50/224 of 11 April 1996, 51/218
A to C of 18 December 1996 and 52/230 of 31 March 1998 and its
decisions 48/472 A of 23 December 1993, 50/451 B of 23 December 1995
and 54/456 to 54/458 of 23 December 1999, and taking into account the
scale of assessments for the year 2000, as set out in its resolutions
52/215 A of 22 December 1997 and 54/237 A of 23 December 1999;
17. Decides
further that, in accordance
with the provisions of its resolution 973 (X) of 15 December 1955,
there shall be set off against the apportionment among Member States,
as provided for in paragraph 16 above, their respective share in the
Tax Equalization Fund of the estimated staff assessment income of
411,988 dollars approved for the Force for the period from 1 to 31
July 2000;
18. Decides that, for Member States that have fulfilled their financial
obligations to the Force, there shall be set off against the
apportionment, as provided for in paragraph 16 above, their
respective share of the unencumbered balance of 8,329,300 dollars
gross (8,084,600 dollars net) in respect of the period from 1 July
1998 to 30 June 1999;
19. Decides
also that, for Member States
that have not fulfilled their financial obligations to the Force,
their share of the unencumbered balance of 8,329,300 dollars gross
(8,084,600 dollars net) in respect of the period from 1 July 1998 to
30 June 1999 shall be set off against their outstanding obligations;
20. Decides
further, as an ad hoc
arrangement, to apportion among Member States the amount of
134,597,553 dollars gross (130,065,688 dollars net) for the period
from 1 August 2000 to 30 June 2001, at a monthly rate of 12,236,141
dollars gross (11,824,153 dollars net), in accordance with the scheme
set out in the present resolution, and taking into account the scale
of assessments for the year 2000, as set out in its resolutions
52/215 A and 54/237 A, and for the year 2001, 4/
subject to the decision of the Security Council to extend the mandate
of the Force beyond 31 July 2000;
21. Decides that, in accordance with the provisions of its resolution 973 (X),
there shall be set off against the apportionment among Member States,
as provided for in paragraph 20 above, their respective share in the
Tax Equalization Fund of the estimated staff assessment income of
4,531,864 dollars approved for the Force for the period from 1 August
2000 to 30 June 2001;
22. Emphasizes that no peacekeeping mission shall be financed by borrowing funds
from other active peacekeeping missions;
23. Encourages the Secretary-General to continue to take additional measures to
ensure the safety and security of all personnel under the auspices of
the United Nations participating in the Force;
24. Invites voluntary contributions to the 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 and
practices established by the General Assembly;
25. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-fifth session,
under the item entitled "Financing of the United Nations
peacekeeping forces in the Middle East", the sub-item entitled
"United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon".
Sources: The United Nations |