Fifth Committee
1 June 2006
Statement by Ms Shannon-Marie Soni, Second Secretary, Mission of Canada
to the United Nations, on behalf of Canada, Australia and New Zealand
Item 126: Improving the Financial System of the United Nations
Check against delivery
I have the honour to speak today on behalf of Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Our delegations thank Assistant Secretary-General and Controller Warren Sach for his presentation on the financial situation of the United Nations. This information allows us to take a broader view of UN finances and assess how we, as Member States, are acquitting our responsibilities to the Organisation. Unfortunately, we are noticing a trend that, year after year, the picture that is presented is not particularly positive.
We are pleased to note that the financial situation in 2005 was generally better than in 2004, but this good news should not obscure the fact that unpaid assessments for both the peacekeeping and Capital Master Plan budgets have increased.
It is encouraging that the number of Member States – 140 – paying their regular budget assessments in full by year’s end 2005 was the highest number in at least five years. However, 51 Members of this Organisation have chosen not to comply with their obligations under the Charter, with 3 Members accounting for 85% of the amounts outstanding.
Partway into 2006, the situation is not as positive, with payments received much lower and unpaid assessments much higher than at this time last year. As the Secretary-General has noted in his report (A/60/427/Add.1), the liquidity necessary to ensure efficient, full and effective implementation of mandated programmes depends on the timely and full payment of assessed contributions. We hope that Members will fulfill their Charter obligations at the earliest time possible, paying in full and without condition, lest delivery of UN programmes in 2006 be compromised.
The peacekeeping budget situation is abysmal with nearly $3 billion outstanding at end 2005 and only 22 countries paid in full. With peacekeeping missions increasing in number, size and complexity, it is essential that sufficient resources are provided for missions to effectively carry out their mandates. We urge the 169 Members that have not yet paid their 2005 assessments to do so in full and without condition; not doing so puts the UN military and civilian personnel on the ground, and the people they are trying to help, at risk, and contributes to delays in reimbursing troop-contributing countries.
We have noted the Secretary-General’s proposal, in paragraph 14 of his report, to retain $73 million in the closed mission accounts in order to manage cash shortfalls in other accounts. As we have raised before, the decision to retain funds continues to penalize those Member States who have paid their assessments, in order to manage the consequences of those who do not. The continued retention of closed missions funds is a short term solution to managing cash-flow problems, but it is a solution that the Secretary-General is forced to use to manage the fact that many Member States are not fulfilling their responsibilities to pay. If the General Assembly wishes to maintain its restrictions on cross-borrowing, then it must provide the liquidity for all peacekeeping missions and Tribunals so that cross-borrowing need not be an option.
We are pleased to note that unpaid assessments for the Tribunals have declined for the second year in a row and while the number of countries with amounts outstanding has declined since last year, we still note with concern that 98 Members have amounts outstanding.
The “honour roll” – which contains just 18 countries – is lamentably short for yet another year. However, we note that it includes both developed and developing countries, and countries from all continents, except one. Our delegations look forward to the day when an “honour roll” is no longer necessary because all Members have fulfilled their Charter obligations and have paid in full, on time and without condition. Until that day comes, however, we sincerely urge every Member State to aspire for inclusion on this list.