Kazakh Chairmanship welcomes 2011 OSCE budget approval
VIENNA, 23 December 2010 - The Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship and the Lithuanian Chairmanship of the Advisory Committee on Management and Finance welcomed today’s decision by the 56 OSCE participating States to approve the Unified Budget for 2011, amounting to 150,764,700 euros.
"Prompt adoption of the OSCE unified budget demonstrates strong commitment of the OSCE participating States to strengthen the effectiveness, efficiency and transparency of the Organization, as well as to promote co-operation and dialogue," said Ambassador Kairat Abdrakhmanov, the Chairperson of the Permanent Council.
The unified budget includes funds for the OSCE Secretariat and institutions, as well as the OSCE field operations and activities, with the latter accounting for almost two-thirds of the total budget.
"By adopting the budget, the participating States have pledged to streamline and prioritize the work of the Organization across the three security dimensions, especially in areas where the Organization has a comparative advantage,” said the Lithuanian Ambassador to the OSCE, Renatas Norkus. “It will also ensure timely funding of the OSCE activities in 2011.”
The decision was taken at a special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council. The Permanent Council is an OSCE decision-making body, chaired by the country holding the OSCE's annually rotating Chairmanship.
Lithuaniahas been chairing the Advisory Committee on Management and Finance since 1 October 2010 and will take over the OSCE Chairmanship from Kazakhstan on 1 January 2011.