§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will give details of expenditure over the last two years, and of the budget for this year, on the UN Centre for Human Rights, and within the total, the amounts spent and budgeted for the work of each of the thematic and country rapporteurs and the Working Groups; whether they have noted that the Special Rapporteur for human rights in Burma, Professor Yozo Yokota, resigned partly because of frustration at the lack of logistical support for human rights staff in Geneva; and what proposals they have made, or will make, to improve the resources allocated to this work.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)In 1994 and 1995 annual expenditure was increased to US$25,949,000. The estimate for 1996 and 1997 is US$28,644,550.
The Special Rapporteurs were collectively allocated US$1,864,700 in 1994, US$2,305,100 in 1995 and US$2,316,200 for 1996. Figures for individual rapporteurs' costs are not available. The Commission's working groups are funded from the UN Regular Budget. No specific amount is allocated each year.
We were indeed aware of the reasons for Professor Yokota's resignation.
We contributed voluntarily £50,000 last year, and £115,000 this year towards the cost of a restructuring programme for the Centre for Human Rights.