UNITED NATIONS — The fact that it costs the United Nations an average of $2,473 per page to produce every single document in its six official languages, while outside contractors complete the same work for about $450, prompts diplomats to accuse the organization of running amok during a global financial crisis.

It is budget season at the United Nations, and that is just one of several fights brewing. The two-month period of intense haggling is expected to be especially heated this year within the innocuous-sounding "Fifth Committee," which handles the crucial money decisions.

First, some major donors are demanding that Brazil, Russia, India and China absorb a larger share of the organization's costs to reflect their new economic weight. Those countries, however, are having none of it.

Then comes the widespread frustration that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon presented a two-year regular budget of about $4.89 billion. At first glance, that seems to be a mere 0.5 percent increase over current spending — except an annex of nebulous "add-ons" is likely to push the number to at least $5.4 billion, a leap of more than 12 percent, which many members argue is unsustainable.

Perhaps the largest hurdle comes down to the split between the developing versus the developed world. The richer nations see poorer members pushing for ever-increasing sums for development and other mandates for which they do not pay. The developing nations think the policy pushed by richer nations of "zero growth" in the budget, except for political stabilization missions or peacekeeping, undermines the body's noble aims.

Establishing the new scale for each nation's budget assessment will spawn a tug of war. The basic number used to calculate payments is national income, but under an extremely complicated formula taking into account population size, debt burden and other factors. Ultimately, any change in the formula requires consensus among all 192 members. Because the Nonaligned Movement plus China, which represent about 120 members, oppose any change, chances are slim.

That ultimately leaves the operating budget as the place to cut, hence the questions raised about costs such as the $2,473 per page.

Angela Kane, the undersecretary-general for management, said that price reflected the fact that the body keeps a staff of translators on call 24 hours a day to make sure any document can be translated instantly into English, Russian, French, Arabic, Spanish and Chinese. Outside contractors, while cheaper, cannot work as quickly, she said.