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Mr Chairman
I have the honour today to speak on behalf of Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Our delegations would like to thank the Assistant Secretary General, Mr Warren Sach, for his presentation on the financial situation of the Organisation.
CANZ supports a strong and effective UN. If the UN is to fulfil the expectations that we the Members place upon it, it must have a healthy and stable financial situation.
We are concerned about the mixed financial indicators presented by Mr Sach, the uncertain positions on the regular and peacekeeping budgets and the high degree of reliance of the organisation on a small group of countries to meet their obligations over the coming weeks to ensure that the cash flow outcome for 2006 is manageable.
This past year was not without its encouraging aspects, including the reduction in unpaid assessed contributions and the increase in projected cash available for the Capital Master Plan. But even these indicators can be misleading. We are concerned that the number of Member States that have paid their regular budget assessments in full by 31 October 2006 has dropped to 122 compared with 130 at the same time last year. The new Scale of Assessments still to be decided and the significantly increased peacekeeping demands have also impacted on the financial situation.
The great bulk of outstanding contributions are attributable to a small number of Member States, including major contributors. This does not lessen the obligation of those states with relatively smaller assessments. The delay in payments by Member States injects significant uncertainty and risk into the UN’s financial planning. Accordingly we call on all Member States to meet their obligations under Article 17 of the Charter. Canada, Australia and New Zealand consistently pay in full, on time and without conditions. We thank those other member states which have been named on the ‘honour roll’.
We continue to believe that the retention of funds in closed mission accounts penalises those Member States which have paid their assessments in order to manage the consequences of those who do not fully meet their obligations. We look forward to considering reform of peacekeeping finances at the second resumed session in 2007.
Finally, in looking to the years ahead, we remain hopeful that the Organisation can be put on a more sound financial footing, with little debt owed to Member States. Such an Organisation would be in a stronger position to address the challenges of our times. We all stand to benefit from a financially secure United Nations.
Thank you, Mr Chairman.
