Via the UN, Secretary General António Guterres has published his Remarks to the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly on the Proposed Programme Budget for 2020. Excerpt, with my bolding, and then a comment:
Earlier this year, I proposed measures to resolve the financial crises facing our Organization.
You have responded positively to some of the proposals for the peacekeeping budget, which will reduce, but not cancel completely, the debt to troop- and police-contributing countries – for which I am grateful.
But we have not yet addressed the regular budget crisis, and the situation continues to deteriorate.
This month, we will reach the deepest deficit of the decade. We risk exhausting the closed peacekeeping cash reserves, and entering November without enough cash to cover payrolls.
This situation would have been much worse if I had not worked since January to curtail spending, align our real vacancy rate with the approved rate, and manage cash on a month-by-month basis. Without these steps, we would not have had, I repeat, we would not have had the liquidity to support the opening of the General Assembly debate and the mandated high-level meetings last month.
Last week, I was forced to introduce extraordinary measures to cope with the record-level shortage of cash. Vacant posts cannot be filled, travel will be limited to essential travel only, meetings may have to be canceled or deferred, webcasting of non-mandated events will not be available, and support to meetings will have to be adjusted. The Secretariat will no longer be able to support any non-mandated events after 6 p.m. These steps will affect our operations in New York, Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi and at the regional commissions.
Our work and our reforms are at risk.
As I introduce the 2020 programme budget proposals, I reiterate my call on you to recommit to paying your financial obligations on time and in full. I thank those Member States that have done so. I also thank those that continue to make every effort to do so, notwithstanding the difficult economic conditions they face. I equally urge you to consider measures to ease the structural impediments preventing us from managing the resources more effectively.
The full and efficient implementation of our programme of work depends on the financial support of Member States through the adoption of realistic budget levels and the provision of timely contributions to ensure a stable financial situation throughout the year.
I look forward to your full and enthusiastic support.
This is not just the Ebola response that's running out of money—it's the whole UN. The health consequences scarcely bear thinking about: shelter, food security and basic nutrition and education among refugees, internally displaced people, and disaster survivors; surveillance and response to countless outbreaks around the world; long-term studies of population health.
You can add to this list. A major factor appears to be the nonpayment of UN dues by the United States, but a quick scan of today's major American media shows little or no mention of the shortfall, let alone the Trump administration's responsibility for it.
The repercussions will be felt all over the world.
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