§ 2.52 p.m.
§ LORD FRASER OF LONSDALEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government if they will give full particulars of the total regular budget of the United Nations with the names of those countries who subscribe and of those, if any, who are in default for two years or more; and if they will explain how the United Nations finances special enterprises, such as Emergency Forces in the Middle East and the Congo, stating which countries are paying and how much they are paying.]
1088THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF HOME)My Lords, the budget approved by the 14th General Assembly for 1960 was 63,149,700 dollars gross; this latter figure excludes possible supplementaries. All members of the United Nations contribute to the regular budget according to a percentage assessment which is based broadly on their ability to pay. No Member State is at present in arrears in the payment of its contributions to such an extent that Article 19, which could in certain circumstances disqualify a member from voting, may be deemed to apply.
Whatever form the "special enterprises", to which the noble Lord refers, may take, the General Assembly is responsible for deciding how they shall be financed. Generally, the more limited operations are financed from the regular budget under the Chapter "Special Missions and Related Activities"; that is to say, their costs fall to be met by all Member States. Operations of a larger nature, such as the despatch of the United Nations Emergency Force to the Egypt/Israel border, and to the Congo, are treated by the General Assembly on an ad hoc basis. Because of opposition by certain members of the General Assembly, to the inclusion of the costs of the United Nations Emergency Force in the regular budget, a Special Account was set up to which all Member countries are required to contribute according to their percentage assessment of the regular budget. For example, the United Kingdom contributes 7.78 per cent. of the regular budget of the United Nations; and is therefore bound to contribute 7.78 per cent. of the costs of United Nations Emergency Force. With the permission of the House, I will circulate details in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
The method of financing the Congo operation will come before the current General Assembly for decision as soon as the Secretary-General has submitted an estimate of the costs. A voluntary fund with a ceiling of 100 million dollars has already been set up to meet some of the short-term financial and budgetary needs of the Congo and Her Majesty's Government have indicated that they will make a contribution to this fund.
§ Following are the details referred to:
| STATEMENT OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNITED NATIONS EMERGENCY FORCE SPECIAL ACCOUNT FOR 1960 AS AT 2OTH SEPTEMBER, 1960 | ||
| Member States | Net Assessments to the UNEF Special Account for 1960 U.S. $ | Amount unpaid at 20th September, 1960 U.S. $ |
| Afghanistan | 5,926.00 | 5,926.00 |
| Albania | 3,951.00 | 3,951.00 |
| Argentine | 109,594.00 | 109,594.00 |
| Australia | 176,998.00 | — |
| Austria | 42,561.00 | 42,561.00 |
| Belgium | 128,465.00 | — |
| Bolivia | 3,939.00 | 3,939.00 |
| Brazil* | 100,693.00 | — |
| Bulgaria | 15,826.00 | 15,826.00 |
| Burma | 7,878.00 | — |
| Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic | 46,419.00 | 46,419.00 |
| Cambodia | 3,951.00 | — |
| Canada | 307,182.00 | — |
| Ceylon | 9,865.00 | — |
| Chile | 26,643.00 | 26,643.00 |
| China | 989,797.00 | 989,797.00 |
| Colombia | 30,559.00 | 30,559.00 |
| Costa Rica | 3,951.00 | 3,951.00 |
| Cuba | 24,679.00 | 24,679.00 |
| Czechoslovakia | 85,983.00 | 85,983.00 |
| Denmark | 59,212.00 | 59,212.00 |
| Dominican Republic | 4,938.00 | — |
| Ecuador | 5,938.00 | 5,938.00 |
| El Salvador | 4,926.00 | 4,926.00 |
| Ethiopia | 5,868.00 | 5,868.00 |
| Federation of Malaya | 16,732.00 | — |
| Finland | 35,555.00 | — |
| France | 1,272,584.00 | 636,000.00 |
| Ghana | 6,913.00 | 6,913.00 |
| Greece | 22,762.00 | 22,762.00 |
| Guatemala | 4,915.00 | 4,915.00 |
| Haiti | 3,951.00 | 3,951.00 |
| Honduras | 3,951.00 | 3,951.00 |
| Hungary | 41,516.00 | 41,516.00 |
| Iceland | 3,951.00 | 3,951.00 |
| India* | 242,453.00 | 242,453.00 |
| Indonesia | 46,385.00 | 46,385.00 |
| Iran | 20,682.00 | 20,682.00 |
| Iraq | 8,854.00 | 8,854.00 |
| Ireland | 15,779.00 | — |
| Israel | 13,805.00 | — |
| Italy | 222,476.00 | — |
| Japan | 216,609.00 | 216,609.00 |
| Jordan | 3,951.00 | 3,951.00 |
| Laos | 3,951.00 | — |
| Lebanon | 4,938.00 | 4,938.00 |
| Liberia | 3,951.00 | 3,951.00 |
| Libya | 3,951.00 | 3,951.00 |
| Luxembourg | 5,926.00 | — |
| Mexico | 70,158.00 | 70,158.00 |
| Morocco | 13,851.00 | 13,851.00 |
| Nepal | 3,951.00 | 3,951.00 |
| Netherlands | 99,626.00 | — |
| New Zealand | 41,481.00 | — |
| Member States | Net Assessments to the UNEF Special Account for 1960 U.S. $ | Amount unpaid at 20th September 1960 U.S. $ |
| Nicaragua | 3,951.00 | 3,951.00 |
| Norway | 48,407.00 | — |
| Pakistan | 39,343.00 | 39,343.00 |
| Panama | 3,939.00 | 3,939.00 |
| Paraguay | 3,951.00 | 3,951.00 |
| Peru | 10,817.00 | 10,817.00 |
| Philippines | 42,504.00 | 42,504.00 |
| Poland | 135,134.00 | 135,134.00 |
| Portugal | 19,707.00 | — |
| Roumania | 33,406.00 | 33.406.00 |
| Saudi Arabia | 5,915.00 | 5,915.00 |
| Spain | 91,643.00 | 91,643.00 |
| Sudan | 5,868.00 | 5,868.00 |
| Sweden | 137,237.00 | — |
| Thailand | 15,803.00 | — |
| Tunisia | 4,938.00 | — |
| Turkey | 58,248.00 | — |
| Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic | 177,778.00 | 177,778.00 |
| Union of South Africa | 55,180.00 | — |
| Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | 2,706,146.00 | 2,706,146.00 |
| United Arab Republic | 31,477.00 | 31,477.00 |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 1,545,987.00 | — |
| United States of America | 6,497,064 .00 | — |
| Uruguay | 11,806.00 | 11,806.00 |
| Venezuela | 49,475.00 | 49,475.00 |
| Yemen | 3,951.00 | 3,951.00 |
| Yugoslavia* | 34,567.00 | 34,567.00 |
§ *Invoices when received for services rendered in connexion with the contingents provided by Brazil, India and Yugoslavia to UNEF will be set off against the unpaid contributions.
§ UNITED NATIONS REGULAR BUDGET
§ Details about the contributions of Member States to the United Nations regular budget, including arrears of payments, can be found in United Nations Document No. A/C 5/824 of September 26, 1960. This document is available in the Library of the House.
LORD FRASE.R OF LONSDALEMy Lords, while venturing to welcome the Foreign Secretary in answering his first question, which answer I regard as not wholly unsatisfactory, may I ask the noble Earl if the paper which he is going to circulate will show whether certain members will have voted when they were in default; and, if so, which they were? In regard to the last part of his Answer, especially on the Congo, would it not be fairer and follow precedent if the retiring Colonial Power were to pay the bill instead of the British taxpayer?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, the information which I will circulate will no doubt show the countries which are in arrears, but they are not in arrears to such an extent as to affect their voting rights up to now. I think that if the noble Lord studies the information I shall circulate he will see that that is so, and Article 19, therefore, is not brought, so far, into operation. So far as the cost of the Congo enterprise is concerned, I have no doubt that a heavy charge will fall upon ourselves, but if the noble Lord or any other noble Lord can suggest any other solution I should be only too glad. But so long as the United Nations operation in the Congo continues we must bear at least our fair share of the charge.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, could I ask the Foreign Secretary whether he would answer this question? He said that the cost of the United Nations Congo expedition would be considered at the next meeting of the Assembly, I think, or the current one. I see there has been an estimate that up to the present about £24 million is the cost. But is this consideration by the Assembly to take place at this stage or when the operation is completed?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I think that what I said was that a voluntary fund with a ceiling of 100 million dollars (that is roughly £34 million) has already been set up to meet some of the cost. But I think the cost, looking ahead over the next nine months or so, will have to be settled during this session of the Assembly.
§ EARL WINTERTONMy Lords, might I ask my noble friend the Foreign Secretary whether, since we make a large contribution, it will be open to Her Majesty's Government, if they think fit, to make representations on the wholly ineffective use of the United Nations troops in the Congo and the fact that they stand idly by while Africans are massacred by Africans?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, that I think is a separate question altogether from the question of the actual cost of the operation.