UN tops up budget as costs rise

The UN General Assembly in session on 24 December (image: UN)

The core budget is used to fund UN peace efforts in 27 countries

United Nations member states have agreed in New York to top up the UN's two-year core budget by a sixth because of rising mission costs.

The General Assembly agreed by consensus to raise the 2008-09 budget from $4.17bn (£2.8bn) to more than $4.86bn after all-night talks.

An Assembly spokesman pointed to rising costs, particularly for the missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan.

The budget does not cover spending on peacekeeping or major UN agencies.

Wednesday's increase was approved without a vote in the Assembly.

The General Assembly also adopted a budget outline for 2010-2011 totalling $4.87bn.

New posts

The core budget is used to fund UN peace efforts in 27 countries and the extra money will also be used to pay for additional staff for development and conflict prevention.

The UN Department of Political Affairs will have 49 new posts and there will be 91 new posts to promote development activities.

A spokesperson for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply appreciative" of the additional resources as well as administrative changes the Assembly had also agreed.

Washington and Tokyo have criticised the UN's "piecemeal" approach to budgeting.

Correspondents say that the organisation's budget negotiations typically pit developing countries seeking higher spending against major contributors such as America and EU states which would like to cut costs.

The US opposed the original budget because it covers a forthcoming conference in Switzerland on racism which the US views as anti-Israel.

The UN's World Conference against Racism (WCAR) in Geneva will take place in April, following on from a similar meeting in 2001 in Durban, South Africa.

Israel has hinted it may boycott the conference, fearing it may be used as an anti-Israel platform.