General temporary assistance Consultants, experts Personal service contracts2. 22.Therecurrent increase of$1,442,100 foracquisition offurniture and equipment isthenetresultofincreases anddecreases foravariety ofitems. However, amajorelement oftheincrease isattributable tothedecision ofthe Secretary-General, takenin1984,toinstitute atHeadquarters apolicyof purchasing, instead ofrenting, allword-processing equipment anddata communications devices. TheCommittee wasinformed thatacomparative analysis of advantages ofpurchasing, ratherthanrenting, themostcommonly ~sed word-processing equipment atHeadquarters indicated thatittakesontheaverage about19months' worthofresources previously available forrentalandmaintenance topurchase outright thenecessary equipment. Itwasemphasized totheCommittee thattheconcept oftheexpected usefullifeofatechnological deviceisnot necessarily astatement ofitsfunctional longevity. Whilesomedevices may continue tofunction beyondtheirestimated technologically usefullife,the Committee understands thatword-processing components onceacquired canbeoperated economically foruptofiveyears. Beyondthattheymaybeconsidered technologically obsolescent, marketprices, service andmaintenance costsmaymake itnecessaty ~oreplace thesedevices withnewequipment. 23.Inlinewiththeseconsiderations, theSecretary-General proposes thatpartof theresources previously madeavailable forrentalandmaintenance shouldbeset asideforthereplacement ofpurchased equipment. Asindicated 'inparagraph 40of theIntroduction, itisproposed thateachyearanamountequivalent to20percent ofthevalueoftheequipment shouldbepaidintoafundforthereplacement of existing word-processtng equipment. Theaccount wouldstartwithanamountof $1.3million, whichiseqUivalent to40percentofthepurchase price(adjusted to 1985rates)ofword-processing equipment already ownedbytheUnitedNationsat Headquarters. Thisamounthasbeenincluded asrecurrent resource growthinthe relevant sections oftheproposed programme budgetandwillbeadministered centrally. Theestimated costofword-processing equipment proposed forpurchase in1986-1987 andforwhichreplacement provision willbemadestarting in1988-1989 isshownasnon-recurrent growth (seepara.30below).:le )f oJal )l1ars)•total 11 1st. Itsdo related :ional larters, iduced sions The follow o so eflect re lO.Aitments, -7-24.TheAdvisory Committee continues tobelieve theintroduction ofword-processing andothertechnological innovations intheofficeisdesirable, butthatitshould proceed inanorderly andacost-effective manner. TheCommittee truststhatits concern inthisregardwillbemetbytheformulation andstrictapplication of specific guidelines byaTechnological Innovations Board,whichitunderstands is tobeestablished in1985. 25.Recurrent requirements forrentalandmain~enance offurniture andequipment showanincrease of$560,500 for1986-1987. Thisisprimarily attributable toa redistribution ofrequirements inUNHCR(seepara.27below)whichaccounts for $390,000 oftheincrease. Therearealsosignificant increases atESCAP($200,000), theUnitedNations OfficeatGeneva ($179,000), Nairobi (Common services) ($150,000), andVienna ($143,000). Theincreases arepartially offsetbyanet decrease of$504,000 atNewYork,whichtakesintoaccount reduced requirements for rentalofword-processing equipment astheresultofthepolicyreferred toin paragraph 22above. 26.Asshowninthetableinparagraph 19above,thelargest decrease inrecurrent requirements isforconstruction andmajormaintenance ($2million). Thisis attributable tothefactthattheamortization of"theloanforconstruction at Genevawascompleted in1984-1985, witharesulting reduction inrequirements of $2.4million. Thisandotherreduced requirements (mainlyatAddisAbaba,Nairobi andBangkok -butseepara.10above)havebeenpartially offset byincreased requirements of$600,000 formajormaintenance atNewYork. 27.Thedecrease inrequirements undergeneral operating expenses ispri~arily due toaredistribution ofresources undersection 21(partially offsetbysmall. increases inanumberofothersections). thisredistribution alsoaccounts fora goodpartofthenetincreases underanumberofobjects ofexpenditure shownin
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the budgetary allocation for the United Nations, specifically highlighting the increases and decreases in recurrent and non-recurrent resources for the acquisition of furniture and equipment, as well as the introduction of word-processing technology. The language used suggests a focus on administrative and operational aspects of the organization, rather than specific policy or programming areas.

**Category**
Administration, Science and Technology