The New York Times

Wednesday, January 19, 2000

For Helms and U.N., A Cautious Embrace

By ERIC SCHMITT

WASHINGTON -- Put it in the category of Nixon goes to China.

On Thursday, Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., the conservative chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and a vocal critic of the United Nations, is to be the first legislator from any nation to address the U.N. Security Council.

Do not look for him to soften his harsh views of the international organization, which over the years he has called "a disgrace" and "Orwellian."

But after Congress approved a bill last year to pay nearly $1 billion in back dues that the United States owes the United Nations in exchange for structural changes at the organization, both Helms and U.N. leaders agreed that it was time to call a truce.

"He's going with a hand of friendship extended, but will deliver a message that, to set right the U.N.-U.S. relationship, it has to be with a reformed U.N. that knows its limitations," said Marc Thiessen, Helms' spokesman.

Under legislation sponsored by Helms and Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., Congress authorized repaying $819 million in back dues over three years and forgiving another $107 million in debt, but only if the State Department certified that the United Nations had met a series of conditions.

Among those were reducing the U.S. share of the U.N. peacekeeping budget to 25 percent from 31 percent and paring Washington's share of the regular budget to 22 percent from 25 percent.

"Sen. Helms has been something as an ally, although if you look at the legislation, it's full of impossible conditions to meet," said Fred Eckhard, spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

On Friday, the full Foreign Relations Committee will hold an unusual hearing in Manhattan at the Bar Association of New York to review the conditions Congress set down.

Helms is taking up a standing invitation from Annan.