NEW YORK, 28 November: The UN General Assembly should act on how to fund a proposed 1,8 billion US dollar renovation of the world bodys dilapidated (nedslidte og brand- sundhedsfarlige) New York Headquarters, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a report released Tuesday.
His recommendation on the so-called “capital master plan” – a massive overhaul of the complex aimed at bringing it in line with local health and safety codes while improving security – was endorsed by the Assemblys budgetary watchdog, known as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ).
In its own report released Tuesday, the powerful ACABQ, which often influences budget decisions made by the Assemblys 192 member countries, “recommends approval of the revised capital master plan budget of 1,876 billion dollar”.
The Assembly will have to determine whether Member States will pay for the costs of the renovation through a one-time cash assessment, multi-year cash assessments, or some combination of the two.
The main UN Headquarters buildings were constructed in 1949 and 1950 and have not been significantly improved or maintained since then. They are extremely energy inefficient, costing the UN more than 30 million dollar a year in energy costs alone.
In addition, the New York Fire Department has long expressed its concerns that the UN Headquarters buildings do not meet current New York fire, safety and building code standards. The capital master plan seeks to redress these shortcomings while tightening security.
Kilde: FNs nyhedstjeneste
