United Nations Daily Highlights, 01-08-15

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

BY MANOEL DE ALMEIDA E SILVA

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK Wednesday, August 15, 2001

BUDGET DEFICIT OF $75 MILLION PROJECTED FOR END OF AUGUST

Although 103 Member States have so far paid their regular budget contributions in full for this year, some major contributors have paid none, or only part, of their dues. As a result, the United Nations' cash-flow situation is extremely precarious, with a projected cash deficit of $75 million by the end of this month.

This projected deficit will force the United Nations to cross-borrow from peacekeeping accounts in order to pay staff salaries and other expenses by the end of this month.

The United Nations is anxiously awaiting payment of past due amounts in connection with regular budget assessments, in order to avoid further cross-borrowing and to repay the amounts owed to peacekeeping as quickly as possible.

These overdue amounts are from this year's regular budget contributions, and are distinct from the amounts yet to be paid as part of the pending US arrears payment of $582 million, which has not yet received full approval by the US Congress.

Asked how much the United States owes of the regular-budget arrears, the Spokesman said it currently owes $463 million to the regular budget, or 64 percent of all outstanding contributions.

In response to questions about the scale of money owed, the Spokesman said that, at this time of year, the United Nations normally has cash-flow problems. Last year at this time, UN regular budget arrears were approximately $760 million, compared to about $728 million now. Also, at this point last year, 108 Member States had fully paid their regular budget dues.

Under-Secretary-General for Management Joseph Connor is in contact with Member States on the arrears situation and will report to the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly on the matter in the fall.

SECURITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS LIBERIA, ANGOLA

There are no meetings of the Security Council scheduled for today.

Tomorrow, the Council will meet in closed consultations to receive a briefing on Liberia and another on the situation in Angola from Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Danilo T&uuml;rk.

Ambassador Nasser al-Kidwa, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN, in a letter available today, wrote to both the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council. In light of the recent military action by Israel in the city of Jenin, he called upon the Security Council to meet immediately to intervene "to put an end to the tragic situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory."

GENOCIDE SUSPECT TO APPEAR BEFORE TRIBUNAL THURSDAY

A Bosnian Serb who is accused of commanding units involved in the summary executions of Bosnian Muslims in the Srebrenica enclave in 1995 will make his first appearance Thursday before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

Vidoje Blagojevic is charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes for his alleged acts as a colonel in command of the Bratunac Brigade during the seizure of Srebrenica. He was transferred to the Tribunal's custody late last week and will appear tomorrow morning before Tribunal Judge Liu Daqun.

Also today, another Bosnian Serb, Dragan Jokic, was transferred to the Tribunal at The Hague, where he has been indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity, also relating to the killings in Srebrenica.

UN MISSION FINDS NO EVIDENCE OF BODIES IN KOSOVO LAKE

Following reports in the Serbian media that a refrigerated truck containing bodies had been found at the bottom of Radonijicko Lake, near the city of Djakovica in Kosovo, the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has conducted an investigation and confirmed that there is no evidence of any such truck.

The UN Police Missing Persons' Unit and a fully-equipped Kosovo Force (KFOR) diving team participated in the exercise, and said that nothing at all was found.

UN police have also regularly investigated reports of places in Kosovo where Serbs are being illegally held, and have not uncovered any evidence to support those reports following more than a year of searches.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Today, Ecuador became the 9th country to sign the 2001 International Coffee Agreement.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162

Fax. 212-963-7055

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