!!!ReportoftheUnitedNations Conference onDesertification, Nairobi, 29Augustto9September 1977(A/CONF.74/36). -105-18.13Itistherefore evident totheAdvisory Committee thattheGeneral Assembly 1 madeacleardecision thatactivities related tothePlanofActiontocombat r desertification shouldbefinanced entirely through extrabudgetary funding. Inthe f circumstances, theAdvisory Committee isunabletorecommend acceptance ofthe n Secretary-Generales request. Theconsequential reduction inthe e Secretary-Generales estimate for1986-1987 (takingintoaccount theincreaseu t turnover deduction recommended inpara.18.4above)wouldbe$130,200. a 18.14 Asindicated inparagraph 18.50oftheestimates, theSecretary-General proposes toestablish anewP-3postforanArabictranslator inConference Services. TheAdvisory Committee concurs withthisrequest. 18.15Thereclassification ofaSpanish translator's postfromtheP-4totheP-5 levelisrequested inparagraph 18.51oftheestimates. Onthebasisofadditional information provided toit,theAdvisory Committee recommends approval ofthis request.1 f r e C C h w 18.16Requirements forpolicy-making organsthatrelatetosessions ofthe Governing Council ofUNEPanditsPreparatory Committee areestimated at $1,547,700, reflecting noresource growth(table18.6). Thisamountisexpected to coverthecostsofonesession oftheGoverning Council ofUNEPin1987andthree sessions oftheIntergovernmental Inter-sessional Preparatory Committee duringthe biennium. TheSecretary-General indicates inparagraph 18.7oftheestimates that noincrease inresources for1986-1987 isrequested inviewoftheoriginal decision thatadditional costsreqUired formeetings ofthePreparatory Committee wouldbeabsorbed through changes inthemeeting schedule oftheCouncilitself. 18.17Inthisconnection, theAdvisory Committee recalls thattherelated 1984-1985 estimates covered twosessions oftheGoverning Council. However, as notedbytheAdvisory Committee initsfirstreportontheproposed programme budgetfor1984-1985,1iIbecause oftheGoverning Council's decision in1983to shorten theduration ofitssessions, tomergeitstwosessional Committees into oneCommittee oftheWholeandtodispense withitsinter-sessional informal meetings, itwasanticipated thatsavings intheorderof$547,300 might subsequently result. Asfurther notedbythecommittee, thesesavings wouldbe partially offsetbytheGoverning Council's seconddecision toestablish anew open-ended Intergovernmental Inter-sessional Preparatory Committee, however, the netsavings whichmightberealized in1984-1985 iftheGeneral Assembly endorsed theGoverning Council's decisions, amounted toapproximately $433,600.1 o d n C 1 r o p t ( p e 1 A t $] la of re ju e 1918.19Whilerecognizing thatsavings gainedbybudgeting foronlyonesession of theGoverning Council in1986-1987 willbepartially offset bybudgeting forthree sessions ofthePreparatory Committee, theAdvisory Committee isnevertheless of theopinion, forthereasons givenbelow,thatreductions intheSecretary-Generalis estimate arepossible.18.18Inresponse toinquiries, theAdvisory Committee wasinformed thatthe expected savings hadnotbeenachieved. TheAdvisory Committee understands that 1 twosessions ofthePreparatory Committee willbeheldduringthe1984-1985 biennium, andthatthe1984-1985 appropriation willtherefore coverthecostoftwo sessions ofboththeGoverning Council ofUNEPandthePreparatory Committee. 15/Official Records oftheGeneral Assembly, Thirty-eighth Session, Supplement NO.7(A/38/7), para.18.13. -106-~-=.--==,~. ,'~-,=-,~"- ~lAssembly ~ombat lng.Inthe ofthe reaseu 3eneral ~nce totheP-5 Eadditional )fthis the expected to
**Analysis**
This text appears to be a report on the budget for the United Nations Conference on Desertification, discussing the allocation of funds for various activities related to the Plan of Action to combat desertification. The text mentions the Secretary-General's estimate for 1986-1987, the classification of translator posts, and the estimated costs for policy-making organs. Given the focus on the conference and its activities, it seems likely that the text is related to environmental issues.

**Category**
Natural resources and environment, International relations