GA/11256 　　

Sixty-sixth General Assembly
Plenary
117th Meeting (AM)

The General Assembly today, acting on the recommendations of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), adopted a peacekeeping budget of just more than $7 billion for the period 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013.

The funding approved today — for 14 peacekeeping missions, the Logistics Base in Brindisi and the peacekeeping support account — is broken down as follows:

Mission Total Appropriation

MINURSO ( Mission for Referendum in Western Sahara) $60.79 million　

MINUSTAH (Stabilization Mission in Haiti) $676.70 million　　

MONUSCO (Organization Stabilization Mission in Democratic Republic of the Congo) $1.40 billion　　

UNAMID (Hybrid Operation in Darfur) $1.51 billion　　

UNDOF (Disengagement Observer Force) $47.99 million　　

UNFICYP (Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus) $56.97 million　　

UNIFIL (Interim Force in Lebanon) $546.90 million　　

UNISFA (United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei) $269.19 million　　

UNMIK ( Mission in Kosovo) $49.02 million　　

UNMIL ( Mission in Liberia) $518.09 million　　

UNMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan) $876.16 million　　

UNMIT (United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste) $162.21 million　　

UNOCI (United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire) $600.15 million　　

UNSOA (United Nations Support Office for the African Union Mission in Somalia) $455.98 million　　

The text for each mission sets forth the provisions for apportioning the sums among the Member States, as well as any offsets that might apply.

The Assembly also adopted budgets for four political missions, a revised rest and recuperation cycle for staff at duty stations where danger pay applied and a one-time supplemental payment of nearly $60 million over the next year for troop-contributing countries.

All the texts — 23 in all — were approved by consensus, except a draft resolution on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which was adopted by a recorded vote of 145 in favour to 3 against, with no abstentions (see Annex II).

Before the resolution was adopted, a separate vote was requested on language in preamblular paragraphs 4 and operative paragraphs 4, 5 and 13, including a call for Israel to pay some $1.1 million for damages caused during a 1996 incident at the southern Lebanese village of Qana. Members States retained the paragraphs by a vote of 97 in favour to 3 against, with 49 abstentions (see Annex I).

Syria’s delegate, who voted in favour, said the responsibility for financing UNIFIL should be borne by Israel, as that country’s action had caused the establishment of the Force.

After the resolution on financing the United Nations Support Office for the African Union Mission in Somalia (UNSOA) was adopted by consensus, the representative of Denmark, on behalf of the European Union, said there should be no backdating of payments of troop costs and contingent-owned equipment before the actual integration of any forces under the command of the African Union. For UNSOA, he said, no payment should be made before date of signature of the Memorandum of Understanding between the African Union and the troop-contributing country, and the number of troops should be verified before any payment was made.

The meeting began at 10:15 a.m. and adjourned at 10:55 a.m.