Vol. 416 No. 4
9 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the financial difficulties facing the United Nations; if his attention has been drawn to the amounts owed to the UN by member states; if he will list the amounts owed by member states; and if he will outline the amount owed by the UN to this country.
21 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the total amount due to this country from the United Nations for Irish participation in UN peace-keeping operations; the steps being taken to have the debt cleared; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 21 together.
The United Nations have faced serious financial difficulties over the past decade. This situation is in large measure due to the regrettable failure of a number of countries to pay their assessed contributions to the budget of the United Nations, as they are obliged to do under Article 17 of the charter. The situation has been made more difficult in recent years, as member states' demands on the United Nations have continued to increase, while the budget of the organisation has failed to keep pace with the added responsibilities placed on the organisation.
Adequate financial resources must be made available by the member states if the United Nations are to discharge their responsibilities effectively. This requires that member countries still in arrears honour their obligations in full and without further undue delay. It also requires that all United Nations members meet their assessed financial shares so that the organisation can carry out their mandate fully, in particular in the area of peace-keeping operations which has been expanded considerably in recent years.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I will outline for the information of the House, the latest available figures provided by the United Nations Secretariat detailing the amounts owed by member states. At the end of 1991, contributions outstanding amounted to $439 million, comprising $375 million for 1991 and $64 million for previous years. I would hope that with the new climate of confidence in the ability of the United Nations to function in an effective manner, those states still in arrears will soon be in a position to meet their obligations in full.
The Government are owed £14.67 million from the United Nations arising from Ireland's participation in UN peace-keeping missions in Lebanon and Cyprus. I am also circulating details of the amounts owed in respect of these missions. The Government have repeatedly raised the issue of these arrears in statements at the UN General Assembly and in representations made to the UN Secretariat at the highest levels. I can assure Deputies that I will take every opportunity to convey to UN headquarters our serious and continuing concern in relation to these arrears. The Government remain committed to securing full reimbursement of the amounts outstanding.
Could the Minister indicate who is responsible for the bulk of the $439 million that is outstanding? My understanding is that the United States and the former USSR are responsible. Will the Minister indicate who, if anyone, is accepting responsibility within the former USSR for the money owed and is there any possibility that it will be paid given the serious position in which those countries now find themselves? Will the Minister indicate the period over which the £14 million due to Ireland has been accumulated?
As I have said, the amounts owed to Ireland by the United Nations is a matter of continuing concern to the Government and we are in regular contact with the UN Secretariat on the matter. We also take every opportunity to raise the issue under appropriate agenda items at each session of the United Nations General Assembly. The largest sum owing to Ireland is in respect of arrears of payments of our UNIFIL account. The Secretariat recently authorised a modest increase in the monthly payment on account but this still falls short of the rate of reimbursement we would wish to see. I am reasonably optimistic, since the overall question of UN financing is now a priority item on the agenda, that we will see a further improvement in the position this year.
In relation to the question about the length of time involved, subject to correction, I understand that sums of money have been outstanding to Ireland by the United Nations over a considerable period. I am not certain about the time but I can find out for the Deputy the exact number of years and the amounts outstanding for each year over that period. The Deputy asked another question but I cannot remember it.
I asked which countries owe the largest amounts.
The United States and the former Soviet Union are probably the biggest defaulters in this regard.
