Joseph Connor was _______. [originaltext] For the first time in 6 years, the

For the first time in 6 years, the United Nations will end a year with a surplus in his regular budget Correspondent Breck Ardery reports from the United Nations.
     UN official Joseph Connor told reporters the year will end with a surplus in the United Nations regular budget of about 100 million dollars. Mr. Connor said the surplus was made possible by a larger than expected arrears payment from the United States. "They had to pay 350 million dollars of that by the end of December. They came in with 452 million dollars." The US Congress recently approved almost 1 billion dollars to pay US arrears to the United Nations. But payment of some of the money is contingent on further reforms in the world organization. Mr. Connor, the Deputy Secretary-General for Management, says next year’ s regular UN budget will be 2. 5 billion dollars, virtually unchanged from 1999. He said continuing reductions in administrative expenses made the no-growth budget possible. Breck Ardery VOA’s News, at the United Nations.