Wealthy Nations Agree to Cap U.N. SpendingBy EDITH M. LEDERER
The Associated Press
Friday, December 23, 2005; 7:05 PM
UNITED NATIONS -- The United States, Japan and Europe agreed Friday to cap the U.N.'s spending
at $950 million next year to step up pressure for U.N. management reforms, drawing objections from
a large bloc of developing nations.
The powerful Group of 77, which represents 132 mainly developing countries, said it would only
agree to a $1.3 billion cap on U.N. spending. Several key members, including Egypt and India,
also objected to any link between the new budget and management reform, which is a top priority
for the United States and European Union.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan planned to meet with the Group of 77 to spur an agreement on the budget,
which runs out on Dec. 31 and is traditionally adopted by consensus of all 191 member states. Many
diplomats hoped to head home for the holidays without having to return until after the new year.
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The fight over the U.N. budget has become entwined with the battle over implementing the broad
reforms that world leaders agreed to at a U.N. summit in September. Reaching agreement on the nuts
and bolts of the reform programs and how they will be implemented has so far proved divisive and
time consuming.
<snip>
Full article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/23/AR2005122301322.htmlIn short, the spending cap cuts the U.N. off from half of next year's budget
until management reforms are in place. The U.N. is under the gun.