HL Deb 13 November 1962 vol 244 cc531-2

2.53 p.m.

LORD BARNBY

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, with regard to the recent Resolution taken in the United Nations on the South African Republic, how many of those countries who voted affirmatively are in default in their subscriptions.]

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

the noble Lord is, I think, referring to the Resolution adopted on November 7 by the General Assembly concerning apartheid. According to the latest statement on budget contributions issued by the Secretariat on November 1, 10 of the 67 members of the United Nations who voted in favour of the Resolution were at the time in arrears with their subscriptions to the regular budget of the United Nations for 1961; 43 of these members are now in arrears with their contributions to the special accounts for United Nations operations in the middle East and the Congo.

LORD BARNBY

My Lords, arising out of that reply, may I ask whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to instruct their representative at the United Nations to press for the payment of dues? Secondly, is there any contemplation that it would be in the interests of the efficacy of the United Nations if these nations who are in arrears were to have their rights to vote suspended pending their payment of contributions? That would contribute to the solvency of the United Nations.

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, we are of course concerned at the failure of members to pay their contributions, but we hope that in the present session the General Assembly may adopt a resolution accepting the recent advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, and that many defaulters will thereby be persuaded to pay their arrears on the Middle East and Congo accounts. With regard to the second part of the supplementary, I think your Lordships are well aware of the terms of Article XIX of the United Nations Charter, which provides that a member loses its right to vote in the General Assembly if the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount of contributions due from it for the preceding two years.

LORD BARNBY

Is it to be assumed, then, that those who are in arrears are not in arrears for a period of over two years?

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

Yes, that is correct. There is no member who is yet in arrears to the amount of its contributions for a period of two years.

LORD BARNBY

Could the noble Earl give an idea of what would be the position of the United Nations if every member exercised the privilege of delaying its subscription for two years?

The Earl of DUNDEE

That would mean that the deficit would be very much larger than it is.