UN adds nearly $700 million to budget
By Edith M. Lederer
December 24, 2008
AP
Original Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jCyny8IZ_-QCUAa1zfNGwwPluNYQD959DV1O0

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The General Assembly increased its 2008-2009 budget to $4.86 billion Wednesday, adding nearly $700 million to fund U.N. work in 27 countries including Iraq and Afghanistan, and additional staff for development and conflict prevention.
The 192-member world body met through Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning to revise the U.N.'s two-year $4.17 billion budget adopted at the end of 2007 to reflect new demands on the United Nations.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was deeply appreciative of the additional resources and administrative changes agreed to by the assemby, which enhance the United Nations' ability to better respond to the needs of the organization, U.N. deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said.
Looking ahead, the General Assembly adopted a budget outline for 2010-2011 totaling $4.87 billion.
Okabe said the outline would guide the secretary-general in his preparation of the 2010-2011 budget.
As part of the revised 2008-2009 budget, the assembly authorized $429 million for 27 special political missions, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Last year, the secretary-general failed to get funds to beef up the U.N. Department of Political Affairs and broaden its activities, including conflict prevention. But the revised budget will fund 49 new posts for the department, to be phased in during 2009.
The revised budget also provides for 91 new posts to promote development activities — a key demand of developing countries who comprise the majority of U.N. member states.
The General Assembly also decided not to abolish the post of U.N. special adviser on Africa at the undersecretary-general level. Ban had combined that post with the representative for least developed countries over strong objections from African nations.
On administrative measures, the assembly approved new U.N. staffing arrangements consisting of temporary, fixed-term and continuing appointments, and it adopted the statutes for new U.N. Dispute and Appeals Tribunals to deal with the internal administration of justice. Both measures will take effect on July 1, 2009.
U.N. peacekeeping operations are funded separately, and the General Assembly also assessed member states $449.86 million to finance the joint U.N.-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur for the first six months of 2009.