Personnel reimbursement

The United Nations provides personnel reimbursement for the troop- and police-contributing countries on account of the military and police contingents deployed to United Nations peace operations.

Since 1 July 2018, the reimbursement rate has been 1,428 United States dollars per person per month.

Principles of reimbursement
In its resolution 55/274 of 14 June 2001, the General Assembly established the following elements and guidelines for the reimbursement system:
 * (a) Troops, formed civilian police units and staff officers serving in United Nations peacekeeping operations shall be reimbursed on an equal basis for identical services;
 * (b) Reimbursement for troop costs shall take into consideration, inter alia, general principles such as simplicity, equity, transparency, comprehensiveness, portability, financial control and audit and confirmed delivery of specified services, all ow which shall be built into the agreements entered into by the United Nations with the participating States;
 * (c) The data for this survey shall identify the common and essential additional costs from existing troop levels related to personnel that are incurred by troop-contributing countries due to their participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations…;
 * (d) The methodology shall ensure that no double payment is made with respect to reimbursement between the various levels of self-sustainment, components of troop costs and any other allowances;

Current structure of reimbursement
The current reimbursement system has been in place since 1 July 2013, following the adoption of General Assembly resolution 67/261 of 10 May 2013, which endorsed the conclusions and recommendations of the Senior Advisory Group established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 65/289.

Survey
The General Assembly currently decides on the reimbursement rate based on the results of a quadrennial survey of a representative sample of troop- and police-contributing countries. The "common and essential additional costs" covered in the survey are (1) allowances; (2) clothing, gear and equipment; (3) pre-deployment medical expenses; and (4) inland travel. The sample consists of 10 of the top 20 contributors over the prior three-year period. These countries should be drawn from the four World Bank income categories (high, high-medium, low-medium and low) in proportion to the total number of troops and members of formed police units deployed from each of these income categories.

Deduction for absent or non-functioning equipment
In resolution 67/261, the General Assembly endorsed the SAG recommendation that, "to the extent that major equipment specified in relevant memorandums of understanding is absent or non-functional, thereby affecting the ability of a contingent to perform the responsibilities required of it, the rate of reimbursement to the troop- or police-contributing countries be reduced proportionally". However, it also introduced a number of caveats, as follows:


 * (a) No deduction will be applied until after two consecutive unsatisfactory quarterly contingent-owned equipment verification reports…;
 * (b) No deduction will be made for major equipment that is absent or non-functional for reasons deemed by the Secretariat to be beyond the control of the troop- or police-contributing country;
 * (c) No deduction will be made related to absent or non-functional vehicles unless over 10 per cent of the vehicles specified in relevant memorandums of understanding are absent or non-functional;
 * (d) Deduction on account of absent or non-functional contingent-owned equipment shall not exceed 35 per cent of reimbursements for any unit in any case;

Risk premium
In resolution 67/261, the General Assembly also endorsed the SAG recommendation "to award bonuses to individual units that are operating without restrictions and caveats imposed by troop- and police-contributing countries and that have acquitted themselves well despite exceptional levels of risk. The annual aggregate amount of such awards would be no greater than an amount equal to a 10 per cent premium paid to 10 per cent of the average number of contingent personnel deployed during the peacekeeping fiscal year. Those awards would be paid at the conclusion of service directly to the relevant individual contingent members."

Enabling capabilities premium
The General Assembly also introduced a premium to be paid to incentivize the deployment of key enabling capabilities in high demand and short supply. As recommended by the SAG, "The Secretary-General would decide from time to time and mission by mission which enabling capacities, if any, would qualify and the size of the premium in each case. The annual aggregate amount of such premiums would be no greater than an amount equal to a 15 per cent premium paid to 20 per cent of the average number of contingent personnel deployed during the peacekeeping fiscal year."

Reimbursement rates
Personnel reimbursement rates are set by the General Assembly on the basis of deliberations within the Fifth Committee. The adoption of resolution 67/261 set a four-year review cycle for personnel reimbursement rates by the General Assembly. Deliberations on personnel reimbursement are separate from those of reimbursement for major equipment and self-sustainment, which occur every three years on the basis of recommendations of the Working Group on Contingent-Owned Equipment.

Withholding of reimbursement
The General Assembly authorized the withholding of reimbursement for disciplinary reasons, including sexual exploitation and abuse, in its resolution 65/289 of 30 June 2011. In its resolution 70/286 of 17 June 2016, the General Assembly decided that withheld reimbursements in substantiated cases of sexual exploitation and abuse would be transferred to the Trust Fund in Support of Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.