Statement at the Opening of the Seventy Third Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers

"Over the past few years, I have regularly drawn the attention of Council to the unhealthy financial situation of the Organization. Repeatedly, I have expressed serious concern over the fact that this general negative financial trend is threatening to undermine the effective functioning of our Organization. In particular, I have consistently referred to the diminishing levels of annual contributions, with increasingly fewer members meeting their obligations within the designated period. Much of the budgetary allocation is utilized for recurrent expenditures while other major activities undertaken by the General Secretariat are internally financed mostly from arrears. In effect, over the past 10 years, the budget has literally depreciated both in constant and current value. Obviously, this situation is not healthy." - Dr. Salim, February 24, 2001