REMEDY NOT FOUND TO IMPROVE UN FINANCIAL SITUATION, GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT TELLS WORKING GROUP
Press Release
GA/SM/17
REMEDY NOT FOUND TO IMPROVE UN FINANCIAL SITUATION, GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT TELLS WORKING GROUP
19971126 Following are the opening remarks of the President of the General Assembly, Hennadiy Udovenko (Ukraine), at the meeting of the high-level open- ended working group on the financial situation of the United Nations on 26 November:At the outset I would like to welcome the Secretary-General at this meeting. The problem which will be discussed today is of special importance for the Organization.
The work of the high-level open-ended working group on the financial situation of the United Nations is resumed upon the request of the Secretary- General and following consultations with Member States. As it was announced in the Journal, we shall first hold the election of vice-chairmen and then hear the statements of the Secretary-General and then the Under-Secretary- General for Administration and Management.
As you may recall at its previous sessions, this group has thoroughly considered all questions and issues that fall within its mandate. Substantive discussions have been undertaken in order to achieve the payment by Member States of their contributions in full and on time and to clear the arrears. At the same time, the procedure for the approval of peacekeeping budgets and appropriations, the cash-flow situation, as well as methods for calculating the scale of assessments were at the centre of the debate.
Regrettably, despite numerous attempts undertaken in previous years by the working group, it has not been able to discover "the remedy" to improve the financial situation of the United Nations. Meanwhile, the financial problem facing the United Nations has aggravated and, consequently, has assumed a proportion which may severely undermine the effectiveness of this Organization. It would be short-sighted not to recognize an obvious fact, that now the financial issue has evolved to dramatic proportions and obtained a specific political dimension.
Under these circumstances, we must put ourselves a question -- why it happened so -- and try to answer it in an urgent and imperative manner.
Certainly, there are reasons that have contributed to the inability of some Member States to make full payments to the Organization on time.
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Economic underdevelopment, political changes and transition, as well as temporary financial problems, continue to hinder the capacity of some countries to pay their dues. At the same time, the political motivations for withholding assessed contributions are vigorously questioned. We are continuously urged to review the existing financial system in its integrity and implement a package of comprehensive proposals with a view to put the United Nations on a sound and predictable financial footing.
Given the urgent character of the matter we are to address, it is very important to elaborate expeditiously the necessary recommendations that would ensure timely payment by Member States of their assessments.
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