UN General Assembly
1964

134. If that language of Mr. Hammarskjold’s seems mild and diplomatic, the warning was nevertheless clear. If it was relevant then, it is no less relevant now. If we needed an Organization with capacity for executive action then, how much more do we need it now. 135. There have been many challenges to the ability of the United Nations to act, from the abuse of the right of the veto to the effort to impose a "troika." to replace the Secretary-General. Now we are faced with a challenge to the Assembly's right even to engage in peace-keeping functions or to determine how they are to be financed and to adopt assessments to support them. 136. The decision to invest the General Assembly with the power over the United Nations finances, its power of assessment, was made in 1945 when the Charter was adopted. Ever since then, an overwhelming proportion of the Members have been paying their assessments on the assumption and understanding that this was, in fact, the law—and that the law would be applied impartially to one and all.