UN General Assembly
1997

It penalizes, through damage to the Organization, those Member States that abide by their obligations. When the State responsible for the largest percentage of arrears owed to the United Nations is also the richest, and when that State in addition attaches conditions to the payment of only a portion of what it owes, it is understandable that these actions should generate real scepticism in this Assembly. This sorry state of affairs must be resolved quickly. But it can be resolved only on the basis of a credible commitment that all conditions will be eliminated now and that all payments will be made on time. And that means in January each year. 20 I would like to raise another reform issue which has not featured prominently in discussions to date, namely United Nations regional groupings. It seems to us that this is an issue that deserves examination. The groupings are in need of revision to bring them up to date with present-day geopolitical realities. It is anomalous, for example, that our Pacific island neighbours, members with us of the South