United Nations: The United States is demanding that a nearly 3 per cent cost-of-living salary hike for approximately 4,800 UN staff members serving in New York be rescinded.
Joseph Torsella, the US ambassador in charge of management issues, said in a letter obtained on Monday that "such a raise is inappropriate at this time of global fiscal austerity when member state governments everywhere are implementing drastic austerity measures."
"While we have the highest regard for the many dedicated professionals in the UN system, in these difficult times we must at a minimum forgo salary increases," he said.
"Failure to do so could well lead to more draconian approaches to budget-balancing in the future."
Torsella addressed the letter to the chairman of the International Civil Service Commission, an independent expert body established by the UN General Assembly, which authorized the increase effective August 1.
There was no immediate response to a request to the UN spokesman's office for comment on Torsella's letter.
Torsella noted that the US civil service is currently subject to a pay freeze that includes cost-of-living adjustments.
The United States is the largest single contributor to the United Nations, responsible for 22 percent of the UN's regular budget.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said the world body is doing what it can to reduce its budget and has instructed his senior advisers to come up with a 3 per cent cut in spending.
In April, US Ambassador Susan Rice faced tough questioning from House Republicans demanding to withhold American dollars from the world body to force changes in UN spending practices and demand reforms.
She argued that the record shows such moves are "counterproductive" and undermine US interests.
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