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General Assembly approves UN budget for 2002-2003

General Assembly approves UN budget for 2002-2003

The United Nations General Assembly concluded the main part of its fifty-sixth annual session this afternoon, when it approved a budget of $2.63 billion for the UN for the next two years (2002-2003).

The budget - which covers all UN activities except peacekeeping missions - was approved by the General Assembly by consensus.

The figure was reached following extensive negotiations between the members of the General Assembly's administrative and budgetary (Fifth) committee over the weekend. For the first time, the budget was prepared using a 'results-based' format - focussing on expected accomplishments, the delivery of programmes and measurement of the effectiveness of activities, after a decision to use this format was taken by the Assembly last year.

The Assembly also approved an increase in funds for support for peacekeeping, as well as administrative resolutions on internal oversight, on safety and security of UN personnel, and on the pattern of United Nations conferences for next year. Among other resolutions adopted this afternoon, were those on the budgets for the international criminal tribunals for Rwanda and former Yugoslavia, and budgets for the UN missions in East Timor (UNTAET), Ethiopia-Eritrea (UNMEE), Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC).