The UN General Assembly on Friday, December 27 adopted a budget of over $3.07 billion for the United Nations to cover the year 2020 .
According to the information on the website of the UN, the sum was an increase of approximately $8 million on what was initially requested by Secretary-General, António Guterres.
It also marks the first time since 1973 that the UN is adopting an annual budget instead of a two-year one.
The 2020 figure is $23 million higher than the $2.849 billion budgeted by the organisation in the outgoing year.
“The General Assembly’s Fifth Committee, which covers administrative and budgetary matters, had discussed and approved the budget earlier in the day. The Assembly then moved further to consider and adopt it, based on the committee’s reports,” the post said.
"The proposed programme budget for 2020, which provides necessary resources to the UN Secretariat to implement its various tasks, also prepares us well for entry into the Decade of Action for SDG implementation," said President of the General Assembly Ambassador Tijjani Muhammad-Bande after the adoption.
The UN post noted that all UN Member States are expected during the coming year to step up efforts towards the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, which are designed to bring about a better world for all people while also protecting the natural environment. The 17 goals include ending poverty and hunger, achieving gender equality and taking urgent action to combat the effects of climate change.
World leaders agreed on the SDGs in 2015 with a deadline of 2030 to achieve them. Turkmenistan is among the first states to officially adopt UN Sustainable Development Goals and mainstream them into the national development plans and strategies.
