Information Note on Income and Expenditure for the Year 1996

EC/47/SC/CRP.22

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER'S PROGRAMME
STANDING COMMITTEE
9 April 1997

7th Meeting

INFORMATION NOTE ON INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR 1996

1. The annual accounts for Voluntary Funds administered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for the year 1996 will be issued formally after the completion of the audit as part of the documentation for the forty-eighth session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme.

2. For the purposes of informing members of the Standing Committee in a timely fashion of the final, unaudited results of the 1996 financial exercise, attached is the consolidated Income and Expenditure statement for 1996 for General and Special Programmes, covering all sources of funds (see Annex I, which is Statement 1 of the Annual Accounts).

3. As shown in Annex I, total income received in 1996 under all sources of funds, was $ 992,694,916. Obligations entered into totalled $ 1,145,038,373 and hence a shortfall of $ 152,343,457. Adjustments of $ 9,720,428 to prior period contributions increased the shortfall to $ 162,063,885. This shortfall was covered by the cancellation of obligations of $ 71,660,695 from prior periods, adjustments to prior period expenditure of $ 13,001,211 and total funds brought forward from 1995 in the amount of $ 346,240,897 leaving a total positive carry over of $ 268,838,918 at the year-end as compared to $ 346,240,897 for 1995. The net carry over from 1996 to meet programme expenditure in 1997 is $ 30,183,318 for General Programmes, $ 181,076,119 for Special Programmes and $ 329,475 for the Refugee Education Account. The Working Capital and Guarantee Fund carry over is $ 50,000,000 and Other Accounts is $ 7,250,006.

4. Attached as Annex II is an advance copy of Schedule 3 of the Annual Accounts for 1996, which provides details of expenditure under the Emergency Fund. Annex III (Schedule 3) shows the appropriations made under the Voluntary Repatriation Fund for the period ending 31 December 1996, and Annex IV shows allocations made from the 1996 Programme Reserve during the period 1 June 1996 to 31 December 1996.

5. During 1996, the Working Capital and Guarantee Fund continued to serve its "guarantee" role. The High Commissioner did not need to have recourse to it to meet any cash flow problems.

(Note: Annexes I to IV not included in this online version. See your nearest UN Depository Library.)