Budgetary Discipline.

• Position: Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Pressure for zero growth resulted in a contentious give and take this year as delegates struggled to reach agreement on the United Nations budget for the next two years. After a week of nearly round-the-clock negotiations, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) endorsed a $2.536 billion budget for 2000-2001, which was later approved without a vote by the General Assembly. Describing talks as "protracted, arduous, intense and painful", Garfield Barnwell of Guyana, who spoke on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China, said some negotiating partners had taken unrealistic positions which made the process more complex and cumbersome.

The new budget is only $2 million more than the 1998-1999 budget, representing a 0.2 per cent increase, but because the total did not represent zero growth, the United States did not associate itself with the consensus. Its representative, Donald Hays, said the budget was not in keeping with United States policy requiring strict budget discipline.

Zero growth was just one condition set by the United States to make its payment to the United Nations of $926 million in back dues. Other conditions include a reduction in its share of UN dues from 25 to 22 per cent, and of peacekeeping from 31 to 25 per cent. Mr. Hays said the United States was "committed to working vigorously toward resolving the arrears issue with the active participation of Member States".

The adopted budget represented an important step in the direction of a revitalized United Nations, he said. In introducing the proposed programme budget on 27 October, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said stringent budgeting was one thing, but a starvation diet was another. Despite no increase in the budget for five years, the United Nations had persevered, he said.

In the budget as adopted, administrative costs were reduced and resources reallocated to areas like the development of Africa, human rights and international justice and law. The Assembly approved $231.6 million for political affairs, disarmament and the headquarters operation of peacekeeping; and $55.4 million for the International Court of Justice and legal affairs. A total of $268.8 million was allocated for economic and social affairs, trade and development, environment, human settlements, and crime and drug control. Regional cooperation for development received $347 million. Human rights and humanitarian affairs garnered $123.6 million. The Assembly also approved funding for...