Review of UNHCR's Budget Structure: Addendum Draft decision on the Annual Programme Budget document

EC/50/SC/CRP.5/Add.1

The Standing Committee,

OP1 Notes the recommendations of the ACABQ as found in its Report of 1999 relating to the format of the new annual programme budget document (A/AC.96/916/ Add.2, paras. 3,4);

OP2 Notes proposals made by UNHCR in EC/50/SC/CRP.5 concerning the new programme budget document, as well as comments by Member States;

OP3 Endorses UNHCR's proposals in respect of the cut-off date of the new document for the year 2001;

OP4 Also endorses UNHCR's proposals in respect of the length of the document, while observing that the document must still contain all information necessary to allow the Executive Committee to approve the Annual Programme Budget;

OP5 Requests UNHCR to give full consideration to all the recommendations of the ACABQ with respect to streamlining the budget document, with particular emphasis on:

• eliminating tables and narrative on programme categories that are no longer relevant;

• making the narrative more concise and focused;

• eliminating information in the narrative that could be inferred from the tables;

• using graphs and charts in lieu of narrative;

• eliminating duplication between the Annual Programme Budget and the Annual Global Appeal.

OP6 Further requests UNHCR to:

• maintain, but in abbreviated form, the objectives and outputs for major country programmes in the 2001 annual programme budget document, and to make this information available on the UNHCR external Website;

• establish consistent criteria across countries for the number, type, length and quality of objectives, outputs and indicators, with a view to limiting the amount of information presented in the budget document.

OP7 Decides to review the effectiveness of these changes prior to preparations of the annual programme budget for the year 2002.