The 193 UN member countries, after a series of negotiations, have agreed to cut the global body's budget only for the second time in the past 50 years. An accord struck yesterday saw the 2012-13 budget set at 5.15 billion dollar, down from 5.41 billion dollar in 2010-11. The United States and crisis-stricken European countries had fought for cuts while developing countries had demanded spending be kept up. US negotiator Joseph Torsella called the budget a historic agreement and said this accord is the first time since 1998 and only the second time in the last 50 years. Welcoming the accord and vowing more cuts in the coming months, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, Governments and people everywhere are struggling. Ban acknowledged that the global body has to cut fat and said it has already cut posts and contracted out services in many departments at the New York headquarters.