DID YOU know the total UN budgetfor 1992 was just US $5.2 billion?That's less than the cost of twoStealth bombers, but still enough topay for all the UN programmes tocare for children, feed the hungry,promote development and preservethe peace.
A 11-member group convened bythe Ford Foundation to review theUN's financial structure, was astonished that UN operations required solittle funding. Says Brian Urquhart,who joined the Ford Foundation aftera distinguished career at the UN secretariat, the budget takes into accountthat the UN has assumed far widerresponsibilities and its "blue helmets" are engaged in security operations in nearly all of the world's hotspots. But nations are still investingonly 0.14 per cent of their own military expenditures on UN's peacekeeping operations.And, voluntary contributions tothe UN Development Programme(UNDP) for 1993 is likely to be lessthan US $1 billion for the first timein the last four years. This couldjeopardise core operations, warnsUNDP administrator William Draper.