Dear MEL Topic Readers,
UN warns that staff could go unpaid next
month as member states fail to pay dues
How is the UN funded? The world organization
is funded through mandatory payments and voluntary contributions. Each of 193 member
states is required to pay a percentage of both the UN’s regular operating budget
and the peacekeeping budget. Largest contributions are the US’s 22%, China’s
12%, Japan’s 8.5%, Germany’s 6%, followed by the UK, France, and Italy’s.
Russia pays 2.4%, merely above South Korea’s, and India owes less than one percentage
point.
The money is spent on various activities the
UN is engaged in, such as Peace Keeping Operations, World Food Program, UN
Children’s Fund, the UN Development Program, and the World Health Organization. Also,
the fund is allocated to the UN’s operating budget, including expenditures, expenses
and salaries of the UN staff.
As of 8 October 2019, of the 193 member
states, 130 Member States have paid their regular budget assessments in full. Though
that sounds absurd for any member state not to pay the membership fee by the due
date in full to the highest and the most authentic international organization,
this year’s progress is no slower than usual. The problem is that some big
contributors haven’t paid as they are supposed to yet. In fact, only 70% of the
total operating budgets have been paid at the end of September while 78% was
paid at the same time last year. That causes a significant financial impact on
the UN’s operation as the 75% of the year had already passed, meaning their
income is behind to the calendar and payment schedule. As a result, the Secretary-General of the UN addressed at the General Assembly that the staff salaries
might not be paid unless the member states pay their unpaid contributions immediately.
It was supposed to be the place where next year’s budget was presented and
discussed.
Read the article and think how effectively
the UN could operate if key member states aren’t paying the allocated
contributions.
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