Personnel reimbursement

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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.[1]

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.[2]

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.[3] 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.[4]

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."[5]

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."[6]

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.

Resolution Date SG report ACABQ report Effective date Base rate Supp. Kit Weap. Notes
Decision[7] 29 November 1974 25 October 1973 500 150 See A/PV.2303, para 128.
Decision[8] 15 December 1975 15 December 1975 500 150 65 5 Approved usage factor
Decision 32/416[9] 2 December 1977 A/32/339 25 October 1977 680 200 65 5
35/44 1 December 1980 A/C.5/35/38 A/35/653 1 December 1980 950 280 65 5
40/247 18 December 1985 A/40/845 A/40/954 Maintained rates
42/224 21 December 1987 A/42/374 A/42/791 Maintained rates
A/44/500 A/44/725 Overview of rates
45/258 3 May 1991 A/45/582 A/45/801 1 July 1991 988 291 65 5
51/218E 17 June 1997 A/48/912 A/50/1012 Request for new survey
55/229 23 December 2000 A/54/763 A/54/859 Request to post-Phase V Working Group
55/274 14 June 2001 A/55/815 A/55/887 1 July 2001 1,008 297 66 5 Rates in A/C.5/55/47
55/274 1 Jan 2002 1,028 303 68 5 Rates in A/C.5/55/47
62/252 20 June 2008 A/60/725 Request for updated methodology
63/285 30 June 2009 A/63/697 A/63/746 Approved new survey, which was never implemented
65/289 30 June 2011 Established SAG, approved supplemental payment of $85 million to T/PCCs for 2011/12
66/264 21 June 2012 Approved supplemental payment of $60 million to T/PCCs for 2012/13
67/261 10 May 2013 A/67/713, A/67/956 A/67/749 Approved SAG recommendations including new methodology and 6.75% supplemental payment to T/PCCs for 2013/14
68/281 30 June 2014 A/68/813 A/68/859 1 July 2014 1,332 First survey under new methodology
68/281 1 July 2016 1,365
68/281 1 July 2017 1,410
72/285 5 July 2018 A/72/728 A/72/771 1 July 2018 1,428 Second survey under new methodology
76/276 29 June 2022 A/76/676 A/76/757 1 July 2022 1,448 Also approved a $4.9 per person, per month reimbursement for UN-required COVID testing

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[10]. 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[11].

See also

References

  1. Resolution 72/285 of 5 July 2018
  2. A/C.5/67/10 Report of the Senior Advisory Group on rates of reimbursement to troop-contributing countries and other related issues
  3. Ibid, paragraph 67
  4. Ibid, paragraphs 62-63
  5. Ibid, paragraphs 111-113
  6. Ibid, paragraph 114
  7. See page 140
  8. See page 148
  9. See page 238
  10. See paragraph 59
  11. See paragraph 75: Highlights the importance of providing expeditious support to victims, notes with appreciation the establishment of the Trust Fund in Support of Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, recalls paragraph 59 of its resolution 65/289, and decides to approve the transfer of withheld payments in substantiated cases of sexual exploitation and abuse by civilian, military and police personnel to the Trust Fund;