By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unnine5budget122309.html
UNITED NATIONS, December 23 -- The issues outstanding in the UN budget process involve not only the request by Bahrain and Bahamas to pay less for peacekeeping, exclusively reported here by Inner City Press, but how often to review the wider "scales of assessment." The European Union wants a review within a year while the Group of 77, pointing at a ministerial statement from September, says that things should remain as they are.
Inner City Press asked General Assembly President spokesman Jean Victor Nkolo to confirm that only these two "scale of assessment" issues remain open. Nkolo said this was the case.
But Budget Committee sources tell Inner City Press that among other issues pending is the proposed upgrade to Assistant Secretary General of the liaison in New York of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. India has adamantly opposed this, saying it will call for a vote (but not, it is said, ultimately block consensus).
Mexico and Japan are said to have also joined India in raising concerns about upgrading of the Human Rights post. Whether this reflects antipathy to human rights, or budgetary or administrative concerns is not clear.
Inner City Press asked U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice for the U.S. view on the budget, if she is satisfied with her Mission's level of involvement, and whether like at least her last two predecessors she believes the UN budget is too piecemeal, not transparent enough.
Ambassador Rice replied that of course she is satisfied with her Mission's performance, and that the U.S. is very involved in making sure Missions get enough resources. But what about the when to review the scales of assessment? More fundamentally, what about the piecemeal budget process in which "add ons" comprise more than $1 billion? Watch this site.
Footnotes: Inner City Press also asked Ambassador Rice if the U.S. favors the call for a new human rights special rapporteur on the Congo for the UN Human Rights Council, which the U.S. has joined. Ambassador Rice replied that human rights are important, but did not directly answer if the U.S. would use its seat on the HRC to push for a Congo rapporteur.On the UN budget, a vote may also be called on the mandate of Terje Roed Larsen under Resolution 1559. Still, ever with these issues, one G-77 delegate complained to Inner City Press about the process this year. An EU-side observer lamented that "the UN is becoming less relevant," as the G-20 gains force and after the "fiasco" in Copenhagen. She also said that the calling for votes is a bad sign. But maybe the two are related...
And see, www.innercitypress.com/unnine5budget122309.html
