UNITED NATIONS, Nov 19: The United Nations would ask the General Assembly to approve an increase of $ 300 million a year in total contribution from its 191 member states for reconstruction and renovation of the world body’s headquarters in New York, a top UN official said Thursday.

Unveiling the results of study of a Capital Master Plan, Louis Frederick Reuter, Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Capital Master Plan, said he has had talks with some 60 member states who are amenable to the increase in their dues. The increase in assessment for the plan would last until 20013.

Responding to a question on where employees would move as each block of 10 floors was vacated, Mr Reuter said he did not have any exact location at this time. But if the necessary approvals were secured this fall, he hoped to commit to leases by April next year.

He added that the Secretary-General and the key functions of his office would not leave the Headquarters site and would move to a lower floor.

When asked whether it was responsible to ask member states to finance the plan, Mr Reuter said previous Capital Master Plan studies did not offer financing strategies, because the project was not far enough along.