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The Check's in the Mail- UN Finance - Global Policy Forum The Check's in the Mail
By Betsy Pisik
Washington Times
February 12, 2001
Sighs of relief and small bursts of joy emanated from UN headquarters staff on Wednesday, when the US Senate agreed to release more than a half-billion dollars to the United Nations in recognition of reductions to Washington's annual assessments. "We will immediately spend it," said Jean-Pierre Halbwachs, the UN controller. "We will give it to the peacekeeping contributors who have been waiting so very patiently" for reimbursement.
Representatives from several nations owed millions for sending troops and military equipment to UN peacekeeping missions expressed pleasure last week. "We are very satisfied with the outcome," said one cautious delegate, whose government has contributed thousands of troops to African and other missions. "But this money is so long overdue. I told my government not to expect its money from the United Nations until your check has cleared."
The Senate released the money by a vote of 99-0, its first vote of the new session. Back in 1994, Congress decided that the United States should pay no more than one-fifth of the regular budget and one-quarter of the peacekeeping budget, and immediately cut its contributions to those levels. The United Nations never recognized the domestic spending law and continued to bill Washington the original rates. The US arrears to the world body soon ballooned to $1.6 billion, and the United Nations' largest single contributor risked losing its vote in the General Assembly for nonpayment of its dues.
The Helms-Biden bill, passed two years ago, promised to reimburse $926 million of the money owed, once the assessments were cut and other conditions met. Under the threat of General Assembly censure, Washington paid $100 million last year. It could release the remaining $244 million next year, if additional benchmarks are met.
But the saga isn't over. The US portion of the peacekeeping scale will be reduced to 26.5 percent - less than the 30.6 percent last year, but still higher than the 25 percent Congress wants. Last week, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jesse Helms, North Carolina Republican, said he could meet the organization halfway and would accept the gains made to release payment of $582 million.
Ranking Democrat Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware warned that if the 25 percent ceiling was not lifted, the United States would accrue $70 million in fresh arrears this year alone. With new or expanded missions in Africa and continuing expenses to rebuild East Timor and Kosovo, peacekeeping is expected to run to $3 billion in 2001.
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