HC Deb 14 January 1971 vol 809 cc118-22W
Mr. Longden

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contributions Her Majesty's Government made during 1970 to the United Nations Organisation, its subsidiary

£ Percentage of total budget
United Nations Regular Budget 3,876,144 6.62
Special Accounts:
United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) 1,955,000 9.82
World Food Programme 1,820,000(a)
Cyprus Operation (UNFICYP):
Voluntary Fund 1,250,000(b)
United Kingdom contingent 565,400
Consolidated Educational and Training Programme for South Africa 50,000
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 150,000 6.22
International Atomic Energy Agency:
Regular budget 291,689 6.02
Operational budget (voluntary fund) 50,420
United Nations Development Programme 5,900,000
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) 600,000
United Nations Institute for Training and Research 42,000 7.34
Specialised Agencies:
Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) 1,108,584 9.25
Food and Agricultural Organisation voluntary Funds 3,600
World Health Organisation (WHO) 1,727,929 5.95
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) 915,616 6.23
International Centre for the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property in Rome 9,301
International Labour Organisation (ILO) 1,133,578 9.14
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) 237,748(c) 8.32
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) 139,071 6.34
World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) 81,335 6.02
Voluntary Assistance Programme (World Weather Watch) 30,000
Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organisation (IMCO) 53,487 10.37
Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organisation Headquarters 104,000 80.00
Universal Postal Union (UPU) 19,566 2.65
International Development Association (IDA) 6,390,000(d)
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) 1,376,112(e)
International Finance Corporation —(e)
TOTAL £29,880,580
(a) This figure includes the sum of £1,200,000 representing part of the United Kingdom subvention under the Rome Food Aid Convention.
(b) This figure represents a firm United Kingdom pledge which has largely been met by logistical support to the United Nations Forces drawn from countries other than the United Kingdom. The balance will be settled in cash. The United Kingdom contribution represents rather more than 20 per cent. of the total of voluntary contributions.
(c) This figure includes a contribution of £8,708 towards the European Civil Aviation Conference.
(d) This figure represents the drawings in 1970 on the United Kingdom contribution.
(e) The United Kingdom contributed to the capital stock of 1BRD and IFC when these organisations were established; no United Kingdom contribution was made to the IFC in 1970. Our main contribution to the IBRD in 1970 was required to maintain the value of our original contribution.

Mr. Longden

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will name those members of the United Nations which are contributing to the voluntary funds, with their respective contribution to each.

and voluntary funds, and the specialized agencies, respectively; and what proportion these contributions were of the respective total budgets.

Mr. Godber

The following is the in formation requested:

Mr. Anthony Royle

Since the General Assembly of the United Nations agreed by consensus on 1st September, 1965, that the financial difficulties of the Organisation should be solved through voluntary contributions by Member States, the following members have undertaken to make voluntary contributions and have pledged the amounts indicated:

Dollars
Canada 4,000,000
Congo (Democratic Republic of) 100,000
Denmark 1,000,000
Finland 600,000
Ghana 20,000
Greece 50,000
Iceland 80,000
Italy 1,499,755
Jamaica 10,000
Japan 2,500,000
Kuwait 500,000
Liberia 8,000
Mali 4,990
Malta 9,000
Nigeria 20,000
Norway 698,324
Sudan 100,000
Sweden 2,000,000
Tunisia 5,000
Uganda 19,000
United Kingdom 10,000,000
United Arab Republic 50,000
Yugoslavia 100,000
Zambia 14,000
Total $23,388,069

Ghana and Sudan have not yet fulfilled their pledges and Kuwait has paid half the amount pledged. The amount actually received is, therefore, $23,018,069.

Mr. Longden

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the financial viability of the United Nations Organisation on the basis of the payment by every member of its share of the expenses in accordance with Article 17(2) of the Charter; and if he will name those members of the United Nations which are now two years or more in arrears in the payment of their financial contributions.

Mr. Godber

We estimate that the present deficit on the United Nations regular budget and on the two peacekeeping accounts amounts to about $70 million. The total of outstanding contributions to the United Nations regular budget as at 31st December, 1970, was approximately 55 million dollars, of which about 30 million dollars is due to the announced non-participation of certain member States in certain budget items. Outstanding contributions on the Congo and U.N.E.F. (Middle East) accounts remain at $82 million and $49.5 million respectively. These have to some extent been offset by voluntary contributions made by member States since the General Assembly decided by consensus, in September, 1965, that the financial difficulties of the organisation should be solved through voluntary contributions by member States. As at 8th January, 1971, the following seven members were two years in arrears with their contributions to the regular budget in terms of Article 19 of the Charter: Bolivia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic. Guinea, Haiti, Paraguay and Yemen.