General Assembly increases funding for UN missions in Haiti, Côte d'Ivoire

With the Security Council having decided to strengthen the United Nations peacekeeping missions in Côte d'Ivoire and Haiti, the General Assembly has approved increases in funding for both missions over the year ending next June.

Acting on the recommendations of the Assembly's Administrative and Budgetary Committee, also called the Fifth Committee, the Assembly adopted without a vote a resolution raising the amount appropriated for the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) by $51.28 million, in addition to $386.89 million already approved for the 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006 period.

The UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) already had a budget of $494.89 million and that was increased by $46.41 million.

The Security Council previously extended UNOCI's mandate through 24 January 2006 and authorized an increase in its strength of up to 850 additional military personnel and 725 civilian police. The Council established the mission in May 2003 to assist the Ivorian parties to implement the peace agreement they signed in January 2003, ending their north-south civil war.

MINUSTAH's budget was revised because of the temporary increase in the mission's strength to help provide security for Haiti's presidential elections, currently scheduled for late next month, and the subsequent political transition.