UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his approval of the General Assembly’s recent decision regarding unspent budget funds. The Assembly’s vote to reform financial rules, introducing a new methodology for a four-year trial period, aims to ensure that unspent funds are returned to Member States only when supported by cash. This modification addresses the previous rule requiring the return of unspent appropriations as credits to member states at the end of each budget period, including those in arrears.
Guterres emphasized the significance of this decision in enhancing resource management, particularly for regular and peacekeeping budgets. He highlighted the importance of delivering on mandates from Member States in a more predictable and responsible manner. The Secretary-General stressed the critical nature of this change for the immediate operational continuity of the world body, especially concerning peacekeeping operations.
The UN chief underscored his longstanding advocacy for this change, expressing gratitude to Member States for this pivotal step. Guterres noted the benefits of this adjustment for his successor, who will no longer face constraints in returning funds that were often never received initially. As his term concludes at the year’s end, he acknowledged and thanked member states that have fulfilled their assessed contributions, urging all states to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter.
