24. The representative of the Bureau of the Comptroller presented Document WHC-99/CONF.206/3a concerning the statement of accounts of the World Heritage Fund for the financial period 1996-1997, certified by the Auditor General, as well as the accounts of the Fund for the year 1998 approved by the Comptroller, and the tables included in this document. The General Assembly approved the accounts for 1996-1997 and took note of the 1998 accounts.
The Delegate of Thailand asked for an explication on the amount of the expenditure mentioned in Table 1.1 entitled “Table of funds engaged and expenditure for the biennial exercise ending 31 December 1997”, under the item “Secretariat Support”, i.e. US$ 358,650. The Director of the Centre indicated that this amount concerned the 1996 salaries of six staff members of the Centre who were paid until 1 January 1997 from the budget of the World Heritage Fund, and thereafter from the budget of the Regular Programme of UNESCO.