May 27, 1997 (, Landmarks April 21), the budget of the United Nations for the first time negative growth.

United Nations Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly today, the 1998-1999 budget report. The report proposes that the United Nations budget for the next two years is $ 2,479,300,000, a decrease of $ 124 million over the 1996-1997 budget, so that the budget of the United Nations, the first negative growth.
the next two years, boasts a staff of 8839 people less than the end of 1996 to 1997, 1182 people. Today at a routine press conference in relation to the budget report, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General in charge of administrative and budgetary affairs Connor explained. He stressed that this budget does not include the ongoing institutional reform in the United Nations funds involved changes he expected the reform package introduced in July will allow the current budget of less than expected, reduced personnel will modify the budget supplement.