The New York Times

Tuesday, November 16, 1999

U.S. Still Might Lose General Assembly Vote

By CHRISTOPHER S. WREN

UNITED NATIONS -- Appropriating nearly $1 billion in back dues and assessments to the United Nations might not be enough to prevent the United States from losing its vote in the General Assembly next year, United Nations officials say.

A senior United Nations official estimated that the United States must come up with at least $350 million by the end of December to avoid forfeiting its vote. But legislation worked out by Senator Jesse Helms, Republican of North Carolina, and Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., Democrat of Delaware, would initially pay only $100 million.

The possibility of the United States' losing its vote is real because the United Nations charter says that any country falling two years behind will be stripped of its right to vote until it repays the debt. Usually only nations mired in poverty fall sufficiently behind to lose their votes.

But a senior Clinton administration official expressed confidence that the gap could be covered by pooling the first payment with funds being appropriated in a bill for the Departments of State, Commerce and Justice.

The Helms-Biden legislation authorized $926 million in payment over three years. But it also attached the following conditions, which other countries are likely to challenge:

The other 187 member countries must accept the $926 million as payment in full and agree not to keep billing for the remaining arrears. The United Nations says Washington owes nearly $1.6 billion, using different calculations and counting expenses that the United States has refused to pay for political reasons.

The United States' share of the United Nations budget must be trimmed to 22 percent from 25 percent, which Washington has been paying for years.

The United States' share of peacekeeping costs must be cut to 25 percent from 31 percent.

The United Nations budget cannot include any growth in spending, even allowing for inflation. The budget has not risen in dollar terms since since 1994, said Catherine O'Neill, the director of the United Nations office in Washington.

The United States is the biggest contributor to the United Nations but also its biggest debtor, accounting for more than 60 percent of the total owed by member countries.

Losing the General Assembly vote for nonpayment would not affect the United States' seat and vote in the Security Council or its veto power as one of the council's five permanent members. But the loss of the assembly vote would be a setback to the nation's prestige and influence in the organization, which has been declining as the arrears pile up.

The debt was on the minds of a group of lawmakers who visited the United Nations headquarters today.

"I think it is tragic that we will have not paid our dues up to this point," Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, said. "I'm very embarrassed about it."

Representative Sam Gejdenson, Democrat of Connecticut, said the effect of the new legislation would not be seen until it was in draft language. "My understanding from conversation with folks in Washington is that we will be able to fulfill our obligations," he said. "It would be truly outrageous that after all this time we still don't pay our bills."

The senior administration official said some provisions in the Helms-Biden legislation, like reducing the United States' share of the United Nations' cost, might be possible once Washington offered the money. "If we have a check in hand," the senior official said, "the climate for reforms will be greatly improved."