UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday presented a proposed budget of US$5.4 billion for the organisation over the next two years, after instructing managers to rethink business practices, reduce overlap, embrace innovation, encourage creativity and build synergies.
“My budget proposal reflects a conscientious effort to gauge the needs of the organisation for the next two years. But our work does not stop here.
“We will continue to search for ways to adapt and equip the United Nations to better implement its mandates,” PANA in New York quoted Ban as saying as he presented his proposal to the UN General Assembly’s Fifth Committee, which deals with administrative and budgetary matters.
He noted that the proposed budget for the biennium 2014-2015 is 2.9 per cent below the budget level for the current biennium that was projected in December last year.
It is also 0.2 per cent below the expenditures for the biennium 2010-2011.
According to him consistent with established methodology, a preliminary re-costing amount was included and this result in an additional US$158 million, bringing the regular budget requirements to over US$5.5 billion.
He pointed out that the UN was being called on to play an increasingly prominent role in promoting peace, advancing development and protecting human rights.
“The budget before you reflects a central challenge: how to resource this organisation at a time when the demand for the work of the United Nations continues to grow amidst a period of economic austerity constraint,” the UN chief said.
Ban stated that many countries continued to suffer crippling effects of the financial crisis and governments and especially people are struggling.
“At the same time, the world is turning more and more to the United Nations for answers and help across a broad spectrum of issues and needs.
“We must live up to the expectations of the world’s people, and we must uphold our responsibility to you, the Member States, to make the most prudent use of the precious resources that you provide,” he stressed.
He also reminded delegates that rethinking the way the UN worked inevitably had an impact on the number of posts.
The proposed budget results in a net decrease of 261 posts, reflecting the abolition of 396 posts, the addition of 52 new posts, and 83 conversions.
Among other things, he noted that the proposal included nearly US$1.1 billion for special political missions that were expected to be extended or approved in the course of the next two years.
With presentation of the budget proposal, member states would discuss and decide on the budget to be adopted by the UN General Assembly in December for the next two years.
