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United Nations: Financial Issues and U.S. Arrears

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Report Type Reports and Testimonies
Report Date June 18, 1998
Report No. NSIAD-98-201BR
Subject
Summary:

Because many member states are in arrears on their assessed contributions, the United Nations has been covering its operating expenses by deferring payments to countries contributing troops and equipment to U.N. peacekeeping efforts--essentially borrowing from these countries--and spending cash kept in peacekeeping accounts. As of February 1998, the United Nations reported that 166 member states owed about $2 billion. Six countries owed 91 percent of that amount: the United States, Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Japan, Belarus, and Brazil. The United States owes about $1.3 billion for the regular and peacekeeping budgets, a situation that has made it difficult to advance U.S. positions at the U.N. and has distracted debate away from the merits of particular issues. The arrears situation has not, however, always had a clear impact on the outcome of individual issues.

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