The General Assembly,
 
      Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on the financing of
the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara and the
related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary
Questions,
 
      Bearing in mind Security Council resolution 690 (1991) of 29 April 1991,
by which the Council established the United Nations Mission for the Referendum
in Western Sahara, and its subsequent resolutions, the latest of which was
resolution 1056 (1996) of 29 May 1996, by which the Council extended the
mandate of the Mission until 30 November 1996,
 
      Recalling its resolution 45/266 of 17 May 1991 on the financing of the
Mission, and its subsequent resolutions and decisions thereon, the latest of
which was decision 50/446 C of 17 September 1996,
 
      Reaffirming that the costs of the Mission are expenses of the
Organization to be borne by Member States in accordance with Article 17,
paragraph 2, of the Charter of the United Nations,
 
      Recalling its previous decisions regarding the fact that, in order to
meet the expenditures caused by the Mission, a different procedure is required
from that applied to meet expenditures of the regular budget of the United
Nations, 
 
      Taking into account the fact that the economically more developed
countries are in a position to make relatively larger contributions and that
the economically less developed countries have a relatively limited capacity
to contribute towards such an operation,
 
      Bearing in mind the special responsibilities of the States permanent
members of the Security Council, as indicated in General Assembly resolution
1874 (S-IV) of 27 June 1963, in the financing of such operations,
 
      Mindful of the fact that it is essential to provide the Mission with the
necessary financial resources to enable it to fulfil its responsibilities
under the relevant resolutions of the Security Council,
 
      Concerned that the Secretary-General continues to face difficulties in
meeting the obligations of the Mission on a current basis, including
reimbursement to current and former troop-contributing States,
 
      1.    Takes note of the status of contributions to the United Nations
Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara as at 30 September 1996,
including the contributions unpaid in the amount of 49,014,872 United States
dollars, representing 20 per cent of the total assessed contributions from the
inception of the Mission to the period ending 30 September 1996, notes that
some 18 per cent of the Member States have paid their assessed contributions
in full, and urges all other Member States concerned, in particular those in
arrears, to ensure the payment of their outstanding assessed contributions;
 
      2.    Expresses concern about the financial situation with regard to
peacekeeping activities, particularly as regards the reimbursement of troop-
contributing countries, which bear burdens owing to overdue payments by Member
States of their assessments;
 
      3.    Expresses its appreciation to those Member States which have paid
their assessed contributions in full;
 
      4.    Urges all other Member States to make every possible effort to
ensure payment of their assessed contributions to the Mission promptly and in
full;
 
      5.    Endorses the observations and recommendations contained in the
report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions;
 
      6.    Requests the Secretary-General to take all necessary action to
ensure that the Mission is administered with a maximum of efficiency and
economy; 
 
      7.    Decides to appropriate to the Special Account for the United
Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara the amount of 27,962,500
dollars gross (25,480,500 dollars net), already authorized and assessed under
the terms of General Assembly resolution 49/247 of 20 July 1995, for the
operation of the Mission for the period from 1 February to 30 June 1996;
 
      8.    Decides also to appropriate the amount of 13,292,500 dollars gross
(12,555,000 dollars net) for the operation of the Mission for the period from
1 July to 30 November 1996, inclusive of the amount of 526,835 dollars for the
support account for peacekeeping operations, and taking into account the
amount of 7,816,100 dollars gross (6,846,350 dollars net) already authorized
and assessed for the period from 1 July to 30 September 1996 by the Assembly
in its decision 50/446 B of 7 June 1996, and the amount of 2.6 million dollars
gross (2.5 million dollars net) already authorized for the period from 1 to 31
October 1996 by the Assembly in its decision 50/446 C;
 
      9.    Decides further, as an ad hoc arrangement, and taking into account
the amount of 7,816,100 dollars gross (6,846,350 dollars net) already
apportioned under the terms of decision 50/446 B, to apportion the additional
amount of 5,476,400 dollars gross (5,708,650 dollars net) for the period from
1 July to 30 November 1996 among Member States in accordance with the
composition of groups set out in paragraphs 3 and 4 of General Assembly
resolution 43/232 of 1 March 1989, as adjusted by the Assembly in its
resolutions 44/192 B of 21 December 1989, 45/269 of 27 August 1991, 46/198 A
of 20 December 1991, 47/218 A of 23 December 1992, 49/249 A of 20 July 1995,
49/249 B of 14 September 1995 and 50/224 of 11 April 1996 and its decisions
48/472 A of 23 December 1993 and 50/451 B of 23 December 1995, and taking into
account the scale of assessments for the year 1996, as set out in its
resolution 49/19 B of 23 December 1994 and its decision 50/471 A of 23
December 1995;
 
      10.   Decides that, in accordance with the provisions of its resolution
973 (X) of 15 December 1955, the apportionment among Member States, as
provided for in paragraph 9 above, shall take into consideration the decrease
in their respective share in the Tax Equalization Fund of the estimated staff
assessment income of 232,250 dollars for the period from 1 July to 30 November
1996;
 
      11.   Decides also to appropriate the amount of 18,609,500 dollars gross
(17,577,000 dollars net) for the maintenance of the Mission for the period
from 1 December 1996 to 30 June 1997, inclusive of the amount of 737,565
dollars for the support account for peacekeeping operations, to be assessed on
Member States at a monthly rate not to exceed 2,658,500 dollars gross
(2,511,000 dollars net), in accordance with the scheme set out in the present
resolution, subject to the decision of the Security Council to extend the
mandate of the Mission beyond 30 November 1996;
 
      12.   Decides further that, in accordance with the provisions of its
resolution 973 (X), there shall be set off against the apportionment among
Member States, as provided for in paragraph 11 above, their respective share
in the Tax Equalization Fund of the estimated staff assessment income of
1,032,500 dollars approved for the period from 1 December 1996 to 30 June
1997;
 
      13.   Invites voluntary contributions to the Mission in cash and in the
form of services and supplies acceptable to the Secretary-General, to be
administered, as appropriate, in accordance with the procedures established by
the General Assembly in its resolutions 43/230 of 21 December 1988, 44/192 A
of 21 December 1989 and 45/258 of 3 May 1991;
 
      14.   Decides to keep the agenda item entitled "Financing of the United
Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara" under review during its
fifty-first session.
 
                                         B
 
     The General Assembly,
 
     Having considered the reports of the Secretary-General on the financing
of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara and the
related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary
Questions,
 
     Recalling Security Council resolution 690 (1991) of 29 April 1991, by
which the Council established the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in
Western Sahara, and the subsequent resolutions by which the Council extended
the mandate of the Mission, the latest of which was resolution 1108 (1997) of
22 May 1997,
 
     Recalling also its resolution 45/266 of 17 May 1991 on the financing of
the Mission, and its subsequent resolutions and decisions thereon, the latest
of which was resolution 51/2 A of 17 October 1996,
 
     Reaffirming that the costs of the Mission are expenses of the
Organization to be borne by Member States in accordance with Article 17,
paragraph 2, of the Charter of the United Nations,
 
     Recalling its previous decisions regarding the fact that, in order to
meet the expenditures caused by the Mission, a different procedure is required
from the one applied to meet expenditures of the regular budget of the United
Nations, 
 
     Taking into account the fact that the economically more developed
countries are in a position to make relatively larger contributions and that
the economically less developed countries have a relatively limited capacity
to contribute towards such an operation,
 
     Bearing in mind the special responsibilities of the States permanent
members of the Security Council, as indicated in General Assembly resolution
1874 (S-IV) of 27 June 1963, in the financing of such operations,
 
     Noting with appreciation that voluntary contributions have been made to
the Mission,
 
     Mindful of the fact that it is essential to provide the Mission with the
necessary financial resources to enable it to fulfil its responsibilities
under the relevant resolutions of the Security Council,
 
     Concerned that the Secretary-General continues to face difficulties in
meeting the obligations of the Mission on a current basis, including
reimbursement to current and former troop-contributing States,
 
     1.   Takes note of the status of contributions to the United Nations
Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara as at 13 May 1997, including the
contributions outstanding in the amount of 40,805,574 United States dollars,
representing 16 per cent of the total assessed contributions from the
inception of the Mission to the period ending 30 November 1996, notes that
some 30 per cent of the Member States have paid their assessed contributions
in full, and urges all other Member States concerned, in particular those in
arrears, to ensure the payment of their outstanding assessed contributions;
 
     2.   Expresses concern about the financial situation with regard to
peacekeeping activities, in particular as regards the reimbursement of troop
contributors, which bear burdens owing to overdue payments by Member States of
their assessments;
 
     3.   Expresses its appreciation to those Member States which have paid
their assessed contributions in full;
 
     4.   Urges all other Member States to make every possible effort to
ensure payment of their assessed contributions to the Mission in full and on
time;
 
     5.   Endorses the observations and recommendations contained in the
report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions;
 
     6.   Requests the Secretary-General to take all necessary action to
ensure that the Mission is administered with a maximum of efficiency and
economy; 
 
     7.   Decides to appropriate to the Special Account for the United Nations
Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara the amount of 7,557,450 dollars
gross (7,107,600 dollars net) for the maintenance of the Mission for the
period from 1 July to 30 September 1997, inclusive of the amount of 280,500
dollars for the support account for peacekeeping operations, to be apportioned
among Member States in accordance with the composition of groups set out in
paragraphs 3 and 4 of General Assembly resolution 43/232 of 1 March 1989, as
adjusted by the Assembly in its resolutions 44/192 B of 21 December 1989,
45/269 of 27 August 1991, 46/198 A of 20 December 1991, 47/218 A of 23
December 1992, 49/249 A of 20 July 1995, 49/249 B of 14 September 1995, 50/224
of 11 April 1996 and 51/218 A and B of 18 December 1996 and its decisions
48/472 A of 23 December 1993 and 50/451 B of 23 December 1995, and taking into
account the scale of assessments for the year 1997, as set out in its
resolution 49/19 B of 23 December 1994 and its decision 50/471 A of 23
December 1995, and for the year 1998;
 
     8.   Decides also that, in accordance with the provisions of its
resolution 973 (X) of 15 December 1955, there shall be set off against the
apportionment among Member States, as provided for in paragraph 7 above, their
respective share in the Tax Equalization Fund of the estimated staff
assessment income of 449,850 dollars approved for the period from 1 July to 30
September 1997;
 
     9.   Decides further to appropriate the amount of 22,672,350 dollars
gross (21,322,800 dollars net) for the maintenance of the Mission for the
period from 1 October 1997 to 30 June 1998, inclusive of the amount of 841,500
dollars for the support account for peacekeeping operations, to be assessed on
Member States at a monthly rate of 2,519,150 dollars gross (2,369,200 dollars
net) in accordance with the scheme set out in the present resolution, subject
to the decision of the Security Council to extend the mandate of the Mission
beyond 30 September 1997;
 
     10.  Decides that, in accordance with the provisions of its resolution
973 (X), there shall be set off against the apportionment among Member States,
as provided for in paragraph 9 above, their respective share in the Tax
Equalization Fund of the estimated staff assessment income of 1,349,550
dollars approved for the Mission for the period from 1 October 1997 to 30 June
1998;
 
     11.  Decides also that, for Member States that have fulfilled their
financial obligations to the Mission for the period ending 30 November 1996,
there shall be set off against the assessment for the period beyond 30
November 1996 their respective share in the unencumbered balance of 19,392,900
dollars gross (16,687,100 dollars net) in respect of the period ending 30 June
1996;
 
     12.  Decides further that, for Member States that have not fulfilled
their financial obligations to the Mission, their share of the unencumbered
balance of 19,392,900 dollars gross (16,687,100 dollars net) for the period
ending 30 June 1996 shall be set off against their outstanding obligations;
 
     13.  Invites voluntary contributions to the Mission in cash and in the
form of services and supplies acceptable to the Secretary-General, to be
administered, as appropriate, in accordance with the procedure and practices
established by the General Assembly;
 
     14.  Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-second
session the item entitled "Financing of the United Nations Mission for the
Referendum in Western Sahara".