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‘Honour Roll’ For Payment of U.N. Dues

UNITED NATIONS, New York, Jan 26 2015 (IPS) - Only 15 of the United Nations’ 193 member states have fully paid their regular membership dues for 2015, but this is far from the first instance of the U.N. dealing with unfulfilled debts.

More than $6 billion is currently owed to the U.N. by its member states, according to the Committee on Contributions, and member states regularly fail to offer the full fees they are designated to pay.

The Dominican Republic and Senegal paid their relatively small dues for 2015 – $1.2million and $162,000 respectively – on January 1. They were followed by Singapore, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Bhutan, Latvia, Armenia, Norway, Bulgaria, Thailand, Austria, Finland and Luxembourg on the ‘Honour Roll’ published on the website of the Committee on Contributions, having paid their 2015 regular budget assessments in full, as of January 23.

They are the exceptions to the rule. Despite dues technically expected to be paid by the end of January, every other nation has fees outstanding.

The website of the Committee on Contributions shows between 2001 and 2014, an average of 31 countries paid their dues in January.

Aside from the dues owed for 2015, in many cases, UN member states have many millions – or hundreds of millions – of dollars in past dues still owing.

The United States has the largest bill to service, owing $2.03 billion, including almost $400 million in regular budget contributions from previous years.

Brazil owes $259 million including $76 million regular budget contributions from past years; Venezuela’s outstanding debt from past years is $21 million; and Iran owes a past debt of $14 million.

The amount of contributions that member states are asked to make to the 2015 UN regular budget is $2.97 billion. In 2015, New York City will pay $3.25 billion in pensions for staff of the Department of Education, and $4.3 billion on wages for the Police Department.

Each member of the UN is required to pay contributions to finance regular budget items, peacekeeping operations and international tribunals.

Each nation’s expected contribution is based on gross national income, with the United States contributing the highest amount at 22 per cent of the UN budget, and states such as Belize, Gambia and Nauru paying just 0.001 per cent.

The only tangible punishment for not paying dues is a suspension of the U.N. voting rights of member states, but that measure can only be imposed if the amount owed “equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due from it for the preceding two full years,” according to Article 19 of the UN Charter

IPS was told by a spokesperson for the Secretary-General that members of the Committee on Contributions do not speak to media. IPS was instead directed to the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, which has responsibility for administration and budgetary matters.

Abdelghani Merabet, senior advisor for the Fifth Committee, told IPS the next session of the Committee on Contributions – to be held in June – would reassess rules around contributions. “Member states need to pay their contributions in a timely way to allow the secretariat to work,” he said.

“The committee will discuss the rules, to keep the current methodology or look at new ways of sharing the burden amongst member states.”

General Assembly resolution 57/4B states that all Member States are urged “to pay their assessed contributions in full, on time and without imposing conditions, in order to avoid the difficulties being experienced by the United Nations.”

Merabet also flagged an enquiry into ways the UN could enforce payment of dues. “One of the main items on the agenda is the scale of assessment, but members may also decide on measures to take if states don’t pay in a timely manner,” he said.

Despite the USA owing $400 million in regular contributions from prior years, it has paid enough to ensure its voting rights are in no danger. The outstanding amount represents 0.01 per cent of the USA’s $3.5 trillion budget.

Countries have been regularly suspended from voting for non-payment of fees. However, nations unable to pay fees due to “due to conditions beyond the control of the Member” – such as political unrest or economic downturn – may be exempted from this rule allowed to keep their vote, according to Article 19 of the UN Charter.

In 2014, just 144 states paid their full fees, down from 146 in 2013. Despite almost 50 nations not fulfilling their obligations, recent figures are actually better than in years past. Just 117 paid their full fees in 2002, and 121 fully paid in 2004.

On average, between 2001 and 2014, only 136 countries paid their dues in full each year, according to the Committee on Contributions.

In addition to required contributions that fund peacekeeping, tribunals and general operations, many UN agencies and offices are funded mostly by voluntary contributions, with only small amounts coming from the UN budget.

One of those agencies is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides assistance and protection to five million Palestinian refugees. Just $30 million of its $650 million budget, comes from the UN budget, with the rest coming from voluntary contributions, according to UNRWA New York office director Richard Wright.

“Only a tiny proportion of our budget comes from the UN budget,” Wright told IPS. “This is a real challenge. We don’t have any reserves. We are living hand-to-mouth, completely dependent on the generosity of donors.”

Wright said UNRWA is currently running at a deficit of around $80 million, a figure that would spike in the face of any new emergency like those recently seen in Lebanon and Syria.

He said the UN budget is already stretched thin, even without considering the failure of many nations to pay their member dues in full. “As much as we would like to get more funding, it won’t happen. There is such pressure on the regular budget now,” Wright said.

“We make proposals every few years to those who compile the regular budget. In an ideal world, it would be helpful to have more stable funding from the regular budget.”

He said if the UN had more effective measures to enforce the contributions of member states, or if expected contributions were raised, agencies such as the UNRWA may have a better chance of winning more funding from an increased budget pool.

“But unless there is a new resolution saying additional funding should be supplied, it’s not very probable,” Wright said.

The Committee on Contributions will hold its 75th session from June 1 to 26. According to its website, the committee will “be considering multi-year payment plans” submitted by member states.

A resolution adopted in December 2012 states the General Assembly “recognizes that the current methodology [for the assessment of dues] can be enhanced,” and “also recognizes the need to study the methodology in depth and in an effective and expeditious manner, taking into account the views expressed by Member States.”

Member states seeking an exemption from paying their dues must file their requests to the President of the General Assembly by May 15.

 
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