§ 2.41 p.m.
§ LORD BARNBYMy Lords, I beg to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government if they will state (a) the current annual revenue of the United Nations, based upon existing membership and assessment of existing issues; (b) what Member Nations are in arrears.]
THE MARQUESS OF READINGMy Lords, the gross budget of the United Nations for 1956, including the supplementary estimates which will be presented for approval to the Eleventh Session of the General Assembly, which has just begun, amounts to 50,283,000 dollars. The Secretary-General's estimates (including supplementary estimates already presented) for 1957 amount to 49,115,700 dollars. To this figure will be added the cost of carrying out the recommendations of the Salary Review Committee, if approved by the General Assembly, which is likely to be in the region of 1 million dollars. The Secretary-General will also present supplementary estimates in respect of 1957 to the Twelfth Session of the General Assembly in the autumn of 1957. The exact size of these supplementary estimates cannot be foreseen but is likely to be between 1,500,000 dollars and 2 million dollars.
As regards the second part of the noble Lord's question, a document published by the United Nations Department of Public Information states that Bolivia, China, Cuba, Ecuador, Iran, Nicaragua, Peru and Uruguay were in arrears, on September 30, in respect of their contributions for 1955 and, in the case of China and Uruguay, in respect of earlier years also.
§ LORD BARNBYMy Lords, I thank the noble Marquess for that reply. Arising out of it, can he first of all say whether the exercise of the last year to which he referred resulted in the carrying forward of a credit or a debit balance? Secondly, can he say at what point nations or countries in arrears with their dues forfeit their right to participate in the activities of the United Nations?
MARQUESS OF READINGMy Lords, I do not think I can give the figure for which the noble Lord asks in the first part of his supplementary question. As regards the second part of his supplementary question— what happens when nations do not pay the amount due— the position is as follows. A member of the United Nations which is in arrears in the payment of its financial contribution forfeits its vote in the General Assembly if the amount of the arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions which the member should have paid for the two full years preceding the current year. The General Assembly may nevertheless permit a member in such case to vote if it is satisfied that failure to pay is due to conditions beyond the control of the member.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, may I ask the noble Marquess whether we may take it that the cost of the present operations in the Middle East will be in addition to anything to which he has referred in his Answer?