December 13, 2002: The General Assemblies' fifth committee (administrative and budgetary) recommend a capital master plan to raise an estimated $1.05 billion for refurbishing of the UN's New York headquarters. The UN complex has been outdated and deficient for many years, especially its IT support base, but refurbishment has been postponed due to lack of funds.
December 11, 2002: Ted Turner announces that he will pay the remaining $500 million he pledged to the UN over the next 10 years, rather than the 5 years he originally planned, after watching his fortune dwindle from $8 billion to $1.6 billion.
December 9, 2002: The proposed UN budget for 2004-2005 reaches 2.92 billion, reflecting real growth of $47.8 million compared with the approved appropriation for 2002-2003. The US criticised the budget, calling it a "step backward in what should be an evolving process to make the organization more effective and efficient in the use of its resources".
November 4, 2002: The General Assemblies' fifth committee (administrative and budgetary) questions how to finance the $620 000 required to strengthen the Secretariat's Terrorism Prevention Branch. The UN's contingency fund, designed for unexpected expenditure, is severely strained and may not be able to cover the cost.
October 21, 2003: Under Secretary-General Joseph Connor says the UN's financial stability is "under pressure." Connor predicted higher unpaid assessments and higher debt to member states at the end of 2002 as compared to the previous year.
October 9, 2003: The US pays $46 million of its UN debt under the Helms-Biden legislation. This bill demands that each UN organization owed money by the US implement reforms before receiving payment.
September 30, 2003: The US Congress adopts a bill authorizing the final $244 million UN arrears payment under the Helms-Biden legislation to be made. This payment only comes after the WHO, FAO and ILO complied with US demands to reduce US assessments for their respective budgets from 25% to 22%.
August 28, 2003: The cost of the Johannesburg Summit provokes a large debate on the raison d'etre of UN conferences. The US, critical of these "gab-fests for their cost and their lack of achievements," makes an unconvincing case for abandoning UN conferences, and instead, holding Special Sessions of the General Assembly in New York "as a way of avoiding expensive junkets."
July 10, 2003: Repesentatives of the Afghan government, neighbouring countries and UN agencies meet to discuss the $838 million funding shortfall for humanitarian aid in Afghanistan.
July 3, 2003:The UN appeals for $142 million to assist 2 million Angolans who depend on international aid to survive. According to the UN, "most aid agencies are already working at full capacity and [...] further expansion is dependent on a significant increase in funding."
