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Greetings from Global Policy Forum,
On June 22, 1999 the US Senate voted, by a count of 98-1, to pay $916 million of the US debt to the United Nations. But, the proposed payment came with the usual strings attached. The bill made payment conditional on a decision by member states that the US share of the Regular Budget would be reduced from 25% to 20%, and that the US share of peacekeeping assessments would decline from 31% to 25%. This is a completely unacceptable condition, for an incomplete payment of US arrears that now total $1.6 billion. Member states are unlikely to agree to this plan, so we can expect that the United States debt will continue to cripple the UN.
The decision by the Senate was reportedly the result of a compromise between Senator Jesse Helms and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. In exchange for agreeing to the payment conditions, Albright was believed to have secured the confirmation of Richard Holbrooke as US Ambassador to the UN. Some speculate that the US is moving closer to paying the debt, because it needs the UN to play a prominent role in the peacekeeping effort in Kosovo. This year, the arrears bill is at least free of the amendment on population that ensured a presidential veto in the past. But the assessment condition remains a poison pill.
The UN financial crisis would be quickly solved if the international community could agree on a small global tax -- on foreign exchange, carbon emissions, air tickets or some other basis. This week, we have posted several links to web sites focusing on the foreign exchange tax, usually known as the Tobin Tax. The site of "ATTAC" in France hosted an electronic workshop addressing globalization and the global financial crisis, featuring a chat room on the Tobin Tax. Interest in this tax continues to grow, in light of the huge exchange speculation that now totals more than $1.5 trillion each day, a clear threat to future world economic stability.
On the political front, we were pleased to learn on June 23 that the UN will delay the referendum in East Timor. The ballot was originally scheduled for August 8, but reports from human rights organizations and UN officials have found alarming rates of militia violence and intimidation on the part of anti-independence groups. In hopes of creating a more secure environment, the UN has now scheduled the vote for August 21st, causing some initial objection from Jakarta. The UN can use the delay to consolidate its presence in East Timor and solve some of the logistical problems in setting up its mission. Although the UN wants to guarantee a free election, it has only advisory status in the territory and so is at the mercy of the Indonesian Government's commitment to provide impartial security for the vote. Monitors point to increasing evidence that the militia groups are supported by the Indonesian military.
We welcome the positive response to our new report on NGO access at the UN. Word has gone out via list-serv, web and word-of-mouth and we have received many inquiries and positive comments. Requests for copies have poured in from many countries, including Ukraine, Malta and India. If you have not already done so, be sure to take a look at this lively and comprehensive document, which is posted at our site.
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