The global financial crisis has contributed to a US$4.1 billion deficit in UN budgets this year and the US owes US$1.2 billion, the UN management chief said on Thursday.
Angela Kane, the undersecretary-general for management, said many of the 192 UN member states have had “to tighten their belts” because of the economic meltdown, though some delays in payment are due to differences in the timing of national budget authorizations.
The deficit includes money owed to the UN’s regular operating budget as well as its separate budgets for the world body’s far-flung peacekeeping operations, its tribunals and the renovation of the UN headquarters complex in New York.
Of the amount owed by member states, Kane said US$3.2 billion is owed to the peacekeeping budget.
According to the UN, Japan owes US$654 million for peacekeeping operations, the US owes US$431 million, Britain US$307 million, Spain US$293 million, France US$194 million, Ukraine US$140 million, South Korea US$139 million, Italy US$129 million and Greece US$102 million.
The US also owes US$691 million to this year’s regular budget, US$34 million for tribunals and US$75 million for the UN’s Capital Master Plan renovations.
Asked about the US arrears, US Ambassador Susan Rice replied “we have been paying in full and on time,” but she said “there is a history of contested arrears and there is always a timing issue given when our fiscal year ends and the UN fiscal year ends.”
The US fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, while the UN fiscal year ends on Dec. 31.
Kane praised 13 countries that have paid their assessments for all UN activities in full — Australia, Azerbaijan, Canada, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Germany, Liechtenstein, Monaco, the Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, South Africa and Tanzania.
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