UN General Assembly approves $5.4 billion UN budget for next two years

ASTANA. KAZINFORM The United Nations General Assembly has approved a nearly US$5.4 billion programme budget for the Organisation for the biennium 2018-2019, WAM reports.

As the main part of the UN's 72nd session, the budget covers UN activities across a range of areas, including political affairs, international justice and law, regional cooperation for development, human rights, and humanitarian affairs, and public information.

The approved amount is $286 million (or 5 percent) below the budget for the current two-year period 2016-2017 and $193 million below the proposal made by the Secretary-General in October this year.

In addition to the budget, the 193-member General Assembly also adopted a number of key resolutions, including reforms in areas of peace and security, and of management.

In approving the budget, the General Assembly also endorsed the proposal to move from a biennial planning and budgeting period to annual programme budget on a trial basis, as of 2020.