AG/RES. 1531 (XXVII-O/97)

PROGRAM-BUDGET OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR 1998,
1998 QUOTAS AND PLEDGES TO THE VOLUNTARY FUND

(Resolution adopted at the seventh plenary session, held on June 5, 1997)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN:

The proposed program-budget of the Organization for fiscal year 1998, submitted by the Secretary General (AG/CP/doc.593/97); and

The report of the Preparatory Committee on the proposed program-budget of the Organization for 1998 (AG/doc.3530/97 corr. 1); and

CONSIDERING:

That, thus far, not all pledges have been made to finance 1998 appropriations for the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI); and

That, pursuant to Article 59.b of the Charter, the Preparatory Committee transmitted to the General Assembly a working document on the proposed program-budget of the Organization for 1998,

 

RESOLVES:

I. BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS

1. To approve and authorize—with the changes and observations made by the Third Committee, the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Matters—the program-budget of the Organization for the fiscal period starting January 1 through December 31, 1998, financed by the following funds at the corresponding levels:

 

(US$1,000)

a. Regular Fund 79,990.1

b. Voluntary fund 11,215.2

 

for a total appropriation of US$91,205.3, except with respect to programs relating to personnel and other contractual obligations to which reference is made in the General Provisions of this resolution.

2. To approve the specific levels of appropriation by chapter, program, and subprogram^/ with the recommendations, instructions, or mandates detailed below in each case:

			1998 (US $1,000)
CHAPTER 1 — GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND OTHER ORGANS			14,380.1
10A	General Assembly (twenty-eighth regular session)		327.0
10B	Administrative Tribunal sessions		164.6
10C	Inter-American prizes (education, science, culture, and environment)		0.0
10D	Board of External Auditors		164.0
10E	Permanent Council		1,243.8
10F	Office of Protocol		456.7
10G	Secretariat of Conferences and Meetings		4,306.5
10H	Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission		1,632.4
10I	Special Committee on Trade		25.2
10J	50th Anniversary of the Organization of American States		217.5
10K	Meetings of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development		412.7
10L	Regional and subregional programming meetings		86.5
10M	Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development		190.8
10N	Nonpermanent Specialized Committees		140.6
10O	Inter-American Commission on Human Rights		2,846.8
10P	Inter-American Juridical Committee		470.4
10Q	Inter-American Court of Human Rights		1,120.0
10V	Committee on Social Development		49.8
10W	Unprogrammed OAS conferences		475.0
10Y	Inter-American Committee on Sustainable Development		49.8
10Z	Center for Studies on Democracy		0.0
CHAPTER 2 — SPECIALIZED ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER ENTITIES			5,924.7
20A	Inter-American Defense Board		2,192.5
20B	Inter-American Children's Institute		1,685.3
20C	Inter-American Commission of Women		1,094.7
20D	Pan American Development Foundation		192.8
20J	Inter-American Telecommunication Commission		759.4
CHAPTER 3 — EXECUTIVE OFFICES OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT			8,410.4
30A	Office of the Secretary General		2,266.0
30B	Office of the Assistant Secretary General		759.3
30C	Department of Public Information		1,760.1
30D	Department of Legal Services		843.0
30E	Office of the Inspector General		624.2
30F	Museum of Art of the Americas		478.9
30G	Columbus Memorial Library		1,044.7
30H	Américas Magazine		634.2
CHAPTER 4 — UNITS AND SPECIALIZED OFFICES			19,261.7
40A	Trade Unit		1,461.1
40B	Foreign Trade Information System (SICE)		597.7
41C	Unit for the Promotion of Democracy		3,382.1
42D	Intersectoral Tourism Unit and Caribbean Tourism Organization		697.2
44E	Unit for Environment and Sustainable Development		1,373.6
46F	Unit for Social Development and Education		1,100.1
47G	Office of Cultural Affairs		646.7
48H	Office of Science and Technology		990.7
49M	Department of Fellowships		9,012.5
CHAPTER 5 — EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT			13,836.6
	Regular Fund	2,621.4
	Voluntary fund	11,215.2
55A	Office of the Executive Secretary for Integral Development		910.5
56A	Division of Operations and Technical Support Services		633.4
57A	Division of Planning and Evaluation		303.2
58A	Division of Program and Project Coordination		774.3
59X	Unprogrammed CIDI cooperation activities		11,215.2
CHAPTER 6 — OFFICES OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT IN THE MEMBER STATES			6,658.6
60G	Offices of the General Secretariat in the Member States		6,658.6
CHAPTER 7 — SECRETARIAT FOR LEGAL AFFAIRS			1,848.3
70A	Office of the Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs		325.2
70B	Department of International Law		1,059.5
70G	Secretariat of the Administrative Tribunal		176.9
70H	Department of Legal Cooperation and Information		286.7
CHAPTER 8 — SECRETARIAT FOR MANAGEMENT			9,456.6
80M	Office of the Assistant Secretary for Management		327.2
80N	Department of Financial Services		2,196.2
80P	Department of Program-Budget		1,119.4
80Q	Department of Material Resources		2,676.0
80R	Department of Human Resources		1,507.4
80S	Department of Management Systems and Information		1,630.4
CHAPTER 9 — COMMON SERVICES			11,428.3
90A	Official functions (SG/ASG/PC)		76.1
90B	Computer equipment and supplies		775.0
90C	Equipment and supplies		300.4
90D	Building management and maintenance		5,621.3
90E	General insurance		248.4
90F	Post audits		50.0
90G	Recruitments and transfers		225.0
90H	Terminations and repatriations		1,531.3
90I	Home leave		211.5
90J	Education and language allowance, medical examinations		283.3
90K	Pension for retired executives and health and life insurance for retired employees		1,377.5
90L	Human resources development		161.8
90M	Contribution to the Staff Association		15.5
90Q	Management systems and studies on documents		551.2

 

II. FINANCING OF THE BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS

 

1. To set the quotas with which the governments of the member states will finance the 1998 program-budget of the Organization corresponding to the Regular Fund, in accordance with resolution AG/RES. 1073 (XX-O/90) and the decision of January 19, 1955, (doc. C-i-269) on income tax reimbursements, using the scale and amounts shown in Table B.

2. To finance the 1998 budget of the Regular Fund with the quotas of the member states, estimated interest income, rental income from space in the General Secretariat Building, and administrative and technical support contributions from the voluntary and specific funds, and all other miscellaneous income.

3. To authorize funding for the voluntary fund portion of the program-budget of the Organization for 1998 at the level of the total collections received by September 30, 1997.

 

III. GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

A. BUDGETARY

1. Personnel limits

a. To maintain at 470 the ceiling on the number of approved posts (object 1) financed by the 1998 program-budget of the Organization.

b. To maintain the limit of 50% for personnel costs in objects 1 and 2 of the total of the Regular Fund and voluntary fund appropriations.

c. To instruct the Secretary General to ensure that, in executing the budget, early separations, transfers, and reassignment of personnel are carried out in such a manner as to not adversely affect the approved programs.

2. Travel

To reiterate to the General Secretariat that no funds entrusted to the Organization shall be used to pay travel costs other than for travel on behalf of the Organization and in accordance with Article 47 of the General Standards and Staff Rule 104.2 (b). Any exceptions granted by the Secretary General shall be the subject of an annual special report to the Permanent Council.

3. Fellowships

To authorize any unused or deobligated funds at the end of the fiscal year from the original appropriation to the Fellowship Program, object 3, to be deposited into the Capital Fund that will be set up pursuant to resolution AG/RES. 1460 (XXVII-O/97), on fellowship and training programs.

4. Secondment of staff members to other international organizations or government entities

Should the Secretary General decide to allow a staff member to be on secondment at another international organization or government entity, he shall make arrangements previously for such entity to reimburse the full cost of salary and benefits of the staff member as well as any other expenses incurred in relation to such secondment.

5. Seed Fund - Museum

The balance of unobligated and unexpended resources in the Seed Fund on December 31, 1997, shall remain in the Seed Fund for obligations in 1998 in accordance with guidelines in section III.12 of resolution AG/RES. 1381 (XXVI-O/96).

6. Inter-American centers

To instruct the General Secretariat to submit by August 15, 1997, a financial plan for execution of the mandate established in resolution AG/RES. 1381 (XXVI-O/96), section III.14, in accordance with current provisions and rules of the Organization, for the purpose of resolving the situation regarding the staff of the inter-American centers by December 31, 1997.

7. Sustainable development

To instruct the General Secretariat to give priority, within allocated resources approved in the program-budget and other resources, to the activities conducted by the pertinent bodies to ensure the coordination and follow-up of the agreements reached at the Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development.

8. Conference language services

To instruct the General Secretariat to give preference to contracting interpreters and translators locally, insofar as possible, when selecting such personnel for conferences away from headquarters, provided they meet the necessary requirements established by the General Secretariat.

9. Real estate

To request the General Secretariat to conduct a study of the real estate owned by the Organization so as to identify options for maximizing the benefits to the Organization from the real estate, and to present this study to the Permanent Council for its consideration by November 30, 1997.

10. Center for Studies on Democracy

To authorize an amount of up to $190,000 from the budget allocated to the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy for possible co-financing with the Inter-American Development Bank of a Center for Studies on Democracy. Should the Center not be established, the Permanent Council shall decide on the use of these funds and should give priority to programs for strengthening democratic institutions in the member states.

11. Américas Magazine

a. To instruct the General Secretariat to use any contribution it receives to produce the magazine in the four official languages of the Organization, as a matter of priority.

b. To instruct the General Secretariat to give prior approval for all the magazine's activities that require use of the franking privilege;

c. To instruct the General Secretariat to report all proceeds from the sale of the magazine during 1998 as income of the Organization and to include it in the proposed program-budget;

d. To determine that the editorial policy of the magazine shall be established by its Editorial Board, which shall ensure that the magazine, as an official publication of the OAS, gives particular attention to promoting the activities of the Organization, as outlined in Article 110 of the Charter.

12. Official functions

To recommend that the entire amount allocated to the Permanent Council under subprogram 90A be distributed in four equal parts for use in each quarter of the year, with necessary flexibility to respond to the requirements of the Permanent Council in order to guarantee that the Chair of the Permanent Council can carry out the representational functions of that office.

13. Report of the Board of External Auditors

To urge the General Secretariat to work closely with the Board of External Auditors to ensure that appropriate documents and records are available early enough to allow the Board to comply with Article 124 of the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat.

14. General Assembly

To instruct the General Secretariat to prepare for review by the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs an analysis of the costs of the General Assembly over the past five years. This analysis should indicate, by object of expenditure, which costs were paid for by the OAS and which by the host country, including in-kind contributions, as well as the staff employed and the functions performed.

15. Pensions for retired executives and health and life insurance for retired employees

To request the General Secretariat to provide to the Permanent Council by October 15, 1997, a detailed breakdown of all costs under this subprogram.

16. Contribution for technical supervision and administrative support from the voluntary and other funds

To request the General Secretariat to prepare a study comparing the administrative costs for technical supervision and administrative support to the voluntary and other funds of the OAS with those of other organizations and international cooperation agencies since 1990. This analysis should include all direct and indirect costs and should be presented to the Permanent Council by October 31, 1997.

17. Costs of meetings

The General Secretariat shall prepare and present a report, for consideration by the Committee on Meetings and Organizations, that includes:

Information on United Nations practice with respect to the use of languages at meetings and in working groups or subcommittees and an analysis of cost savings which would result from implementing a similar system at the OAS;

Available planning techniques, including the use of scheduling software, to maximize the use of space and interpretation services;

Guidelines for the use of OAS funds for travel and per diem expenses of governmental experts at meetings;

Potential institutional arrangements with airlines and local hotels to provide lower-cost options for the Organization and the member states; and

Draft policies on cost-sharing that will clearly indicate the amount the Organization will finance when a member state or organization offers to host a meeting.

18. Specialized conferences

To instruct the General Secretariat to identify the necessary resources, within allocated resources approved in the program-budget and other resources, for implementing the recommendations arising from the review to be conducted by CEPCIDI of the future structure and functions of the Specialized Conferences.

19. Integral development programs and projects

To request the General Secretariat, in consultation with interested member states, to conduct, by November 15, 1997, an evaluation on the volume of funds in the program-budget of the Regular Fund set aside for multilateral projects over the past five years, with a view to deciding on the amounts that should be allocated to comply with the provisions of the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development 1997-2001, on the basis of CIDI's proposal in this regard.

20. Model OAS General Assembly

To request the Permanent Council to continue to support the Model OAS General Assembly Program currently being carried out in the context of activities performed by the Office of the Director of Public Information; and within allocated resources approved in the program-budget and other resources, to provide funding that will allow the Program to be expanded, with increasing participation by the relevant agencies and organizations in the member states. To that end, an effort will be made to secure financing and external collaboration. Also to request the General Secretariat to provide all the support needed for this activity in the area of systems and information.

21. Offices of the General Secretariat in the Member States

From the total amount appropriated for subprogram 90H, Terminations and repatriations, $459,900 shall be allocated to the plan to restructure the Offices of the General Secretariat in the Member States, in accordance with resolution AG/RES. 1530 (XXVII-O/97). Should these funds not be used, they shall be earmarked to finance the 1999 budget, as decided by the Permanent Council on the basis of the recommendations of the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs.

22. MERCOCYT

To request the General Secretariat to continue to support the MERCOCYT program through the competent organs and mechanisms in an effort to assist in the development of its plans and programs.

23. Unprogrammed conferences

To instruct the Permanent Council to consider the resolutions sent to the Third Committee by the other General Assembly committees and to distribute the appropriation under subprogram 10W.

B. OTHER FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

 

1. Program-Budget for 1999

To instruct the Secretary General to submit a proposed program-budget for the Regular Fund for 1999 at a level no higher than that approved for 1997, US$84,333,500, provided that the General Secretariat can finance it with revenues as defined in section II.2. of this resolution. Should the General Secretariat obtain financing over the level approved for 1997, these funds should go into the Working Capital Subfund until it reaches the level prescribed by the General Standards.

Table A

PROGRAM-BUDGET OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR 1998,

QUOTAS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE VOLUNTARY FUND

(US$1,000)

A. BUDGETARY APPROPRIATIONS		TOTAL	REGULAR FUND	VOLUNTARY FUND
1.	GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND OTHER ORGANS	14,380.1	14,380.1
2.	SPECIALIZED ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER ENTITIES	5,924.7	5,924.7
3.	EXECUTIVE OFFICES OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT	8,410.4	8,410.4
4.	UNITS AND SPECIALIZED OFFICES	19,261.7	19,261.7
5.	EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT	13,836.6	2,621.4	11,215.2
6.	OFFICES OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT IN THE MEMBER STATES	6,658.6	6,658.6
	SECRETARIAT FOR LEGAL AFFAIRS	1,848.3	1,848.3
7.	SECRETARIAT FOR MANAGEMENT	9,456.6	9,456.6
8.	COMMON SERVICES	11,428.3	11,428.3
	TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS	91,205.3	79,990.1	11,215.2

Table A - (cont.)
PROGRAM-BUDGET OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR 1998
QUOTAS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE VOLUNTARY FUND, 1998
(US$1,000)

1. Regular Fund	Total	Regular Fund	Voluntary Fund
a. Quotas	73,727.1	73,727.1
b. Contribution for technical supervision and administrative support from voluntary and specific funds, interest, and rental income	6,263.0	6,263.0
2. Voluntary Fund
a. Pledges received	11,215.2
b. Pledges pending			11,215.2
TOTAL	91,205.3	79,990.1	11,215.2

 

TABLE B
ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
REGULAR FUND
1998 QUOTA ASSESSMENTS
(US$1,000)

QUOTAS FOR THE YEAR
MEMBER STATES	PERCENTAGE	BUDGET	INCOME TAX REIMBURSEMENTS	CREDIT a/	TOTAL
Antigua and Barbuda Argentina The Bahamas, Commonwealth of Barbados Belize Bolivia Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru St. Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname Trinidad and Tobago United States Uruguay Venezuela Subtotal Cuba	0.02 4.90 0.07 0.08 0.03 0.07 8.55 12.36 0.54 0.94 0.13 0.02 0.18 0.18 0.07 0.03 0.13 0.02 0.07 0.07 0.18 6.08 0.07 0.13 0.18 0.41 0.02 0.03 0.02 0.07 0.18 59.47 0.26 3.20 98.76 1.24 b/	14.9 3,658.0 52.3 59.7 22.4 52.3 6,382.8 9,227.1 403.1 701.7 97.0 14.9 134.4 134.4 52.3 22.4 97.0 14.9 52.3 52.3 134.4 4,538.9 52.3 97.0 134.4 306.1 14.9 22.4 14.9 52.3 134.4 44,395.9 194.1 2,388.9 73,727.1 925.7	7.0 c/                                         14.9 c/                     8,068.0 8,089.9	(184.5) (8.1)           (1.0)                             (2.7)   (196.3)	14.9 3,658.0 52.3 66.7 22.4 52.3 6,382.8 9,042.6 395.0 701.7 97.0 14.9 134.4 134.4 51.3 22.4 97.0 14.9 52.3 52.3 134.4 4,553.8 52.3 97.0 134.4 306.1 14.9 22.4 14.9 52.3 131.7 52,463.9 194.1 2,388.9 81,620.7 925.7
TOTAL	100.00	74,652.8	8,089.9	(196.3)	$82,546.4

a/ 2% of 1997 quota for full payment of 1997 quota by April 30, 1997.
b/ Shown only to establish the percentage corresponding to each member state.
c/ Amount paid to the member state by staff members subject to income taxes.