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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1266

To authorize appropriations for the payment of United States arrearages

to the United Nations.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 24, 1999

Mr. LEACH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on International Relations

A BILL

To authorize appropriations for the payment of United States

arrearages to the United Nations.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

4 The Congress makes the following findings:

5 (1) The United States played a leading role in

6 the founding of the United Nations in 1945.

7 (2) The United Nations, which by charter is

8 dedicated to saving ‘‘succeeding generations from

9 the scourge of war’’, continues to promote important

10 interests of the United States in the protection of
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1 human rights, the control of weapons of mass de2 struction, advancing the ideal of democracy, open

3 international trade and investment, the promotion of

4 sustainable development, refugee protection and hu5 manitarian relief, the prevention of global conflict,

6 eradicating disease, and environmental protection.

7 (3) The United States remains committed to

8 working to achieve reform and instill greater budget

9 discipline in the United Nations, and to continue the

10 trend toward restructuring and revitalizing that or11 ganization.

12 (4) Ongoing reform efforts in the United Na13 tions are jeopardized by a serious financial crisis,

14 caused in part by arrearages on payments by mem15 ber states.

16 (5) The United States is the leading debtor to

17 the United Nations, owing close to $1,300,000,000

18 at the end of 1998 for the regular and peacekeeping

19 operations of the United Nations.

20 (6) The assessed share of the United States for

21 the regular budget of the United Nations is just over

22 $304,000,000 for 1998, or slightly more than $1 for

23 each citizen of the United States.

24 (7) Article 17 of the United Nations Charter

25 states that ‘‘[t]he expenses of the Organization shall
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1 be borne by the members as apportioned by the Gen2 eral Assembly’’, of which the United States is a

3 member.

4 (8) Payment by the United States of its assess5 ment for the regular budget and the peacekeeping

6 operations of the United Nations is a solemn treaty

7 obligation under international law, voluntarily under8 taken through the ratification by the United States

9 of the United Nations Charter.

10 (9) Efforts to reform and revitalize the United

11 Nations cannot succeed without the political, moral,

12 financial, and material support of the United States.

13 (10) United States leadership in an effective

14 United Nations will be seriously jeopardized if the

15 Congress fails to fulfill the financial obligations of

16 the United States to the United Nations in a full

17 and timely manner, consistent with international law

18 and the role of the United States as a founder and

19 leading member of the United Nations.

20 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR AR21 REARAGES IN ASSESSED CONTRIBUTIONS TO

22 THE UNITED NATIONS FOR PRIOR YEARS.

23 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—Notwithstanding any other

24 provision of law, there are authorized to be appropriated

25 $315,700,000 for the payment of arrearages in assessed
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1 contributions of the United States to the United Nations

2 (other than contributions for international peacekeeping

3 activities) for fiscal years prior to fiscal year 1999.

4 (b) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated pursuant

5 to subsection (a) are authorized to remain available until

6 expended.

7 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR CON8 TRIBUTIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE9 KEEPING ACTIVITIES.

10 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—Notwithstanding any other

11 provision of law, there are authorized to be appropriated

12 $977,600,000 for the payment of arrearages in assessed

13 contributions of the United States for international peace14 keeping activities of the United Nations for fiscal years

15 prior to fiscal year 1999.

16 (b) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated pursuant

17 to subsection (a) are authorized to remain available until

18 expended.

19 SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

20 It is the sense of the Congress that—

21 (1) the United States should maintain its lead22 ership role within a more effective United Nations,

23 and continue to seek to lower the long-term costs as24 sociated with the participation of the United States

25 in the United Nations;
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1 (2) the United States should continue its efforts

2 to persuade other members of the United Nations to

3 support a broad agenda for reform, budgetary dis4 cipline, and equitable financial burdensharing at the

5 United Nations; and

6 (3) the United States should promptly negotiate

7 a reduction in its assessed contribution for any

8 United Nations peacekeeping operation to an

9 amount not greater than 25 percent of the total

10 amount of all assessed contributions for that oper11 ation.

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