Re: [FT]United Nations?

Tom Granvold wrote:

>
> "As the Committee resumed considering its agenda item on improving the
> financial situation of the United Nations, Mr. Connor said those
changes
> were due mainly to increased payments by the United States. While that
> country had contributed an amount exceeding its assessed contribution
for
> 1998, the amount it still owed represented 76 per cent of all unpaid
regular
> budget assessments at the end of 1998."
>
> "Speaking for the European Union and associated States, Germany's
representative
> said that non-payment, particularly by the major debtor, caused
difficulties
> in achieving efficiency and reform. As a permanent member of the
Security
> Council, the United States had a special responsibility. Its higher
assessment
> was in accord with its capacity to pay, as determined by agreed- upon
criteria.
> The United States was also the sole beneficiary of a "ceiling", or
maximum
> level of contributions.Speaking for the European Union and associated
States,
> Germany's representative said that non-payment, particularly by the
major debtor,
> caused difficulties in achieving efficiency and reform. As a permanent
member of
> the Security Council, the United States had a special responsibility.
Its higher
> assessment was in accord with its capacity to pay, as determined by
agreed-upon
> criteria. The United States was also the sole beneficiary of a
"ceiling", or
> maximum level of contributions."
>
>   The full text of the press release can be found at
>
http://www.un.org/plweb-cgi/idoc.pl?305+unix+_free_user_+www.un.org..80+
un+un+pr1999+pr1999++dues
>
>   The main UN page is at http://www.un.org/.
>
> Enjoy,
> Tom Granvold				  <thomas.granvold@eng.sun.com>

This leaves me with a question...If everyone is paying their dues, the
budget is still overunning,
the US is "making payments far in excess of its dues" -- How is it that
we (the US) still have to pay
the vast remaining amount?  Doesn't seem the slightest bit fair...

BTW, thanks for the url.

Donald Hosford