IV

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 21

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to withholding United States financial support from the United Nations unless

that organization adopts certain reforms.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 7, 1997

Mr. STEARNS submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with

respect to withholding United States financial support

from the United Nations unless that organization adopts

certain reforms.

Whereas the United Nations, for the most part, has ignored

or evaded the clear purpose of section 143 of the Foreign

Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1986 and

1987, as enacted in August of 1985, which required the

United States to reduce its 25 percent share of the general United Nations budget to 20 percent unless a

weighted system of voting on budget matters was adopted

by the United Nations and its specialized agencies;

Whereas there is a total lack of accountability of United

States tax dollars allocated to the United Nations, there
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is no reliable way to determine whether the various and

often competing specialized agencies within the United

Nations are accomplishing their objectives, and many

United Nations activities, even if they are of some value,

can be carried out more effectively and efficiently by

other groups;

Whereas the United Nations is overrun with mismanagement;

Whereas United States taxpayers pay 25 percent of the

United Nations budget, plus 31 percent of the budgets of

the specialized agencies of the United Nations, and additional billions of United States dollars go to the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and other

United Nations-related lending agencies, where the funds

have been used for dubious United Nations projects;

Whereas the United Nations headquarters in New York City

provides foreign nationals with high-paying, tax-free jobs,

which amount to little more than subsidized positions

that are used at times for espionage activities;

Whereas these jobs are lucrative, the compensation for them

is out of proportion with compensation for similar jobs,

and the numerous perks that accompany the jobs, including monthly rent subsidies and tax free education grants,

are costly;

Whereas the recommendations contained in the report issued

in 1993 by the then Under Secretary General for Administration and Management of the United Nations, Richard Thornburgh—namely, the establishment of an inspector general with meaningful authority, a common standard for accounting, and a code of conduct for senior management—have been for the most part ignored; and
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Whereas in all, 91 of 185 member countries, including the

United States, are in arrears in their payments to the

United Nations: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved,

2 SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

3 It is the sense of the House of Representatives that

4 unless the conditions set forth in section 2 are met, the

5 United States should withdraw all financial support from

6 the United Nations and its specialized agencies.

7 SEC. 2. CONDITIONS.

8 The conditions referred to in section 1 are the adop9 tion and implementation by the United Nations and its

10 specialized agencies of all of the following:

11 (1) A comprehensive, independent audit of the

12 United Nations and its specialized agencies that is

13 conducted by an adequately staffed, completely inde14 pendent inspector general who has unrestricted ac15 cess to all records of the United Nations and those

16 agencies.

17 (2) An audit of the functions of the United Na18 tions that examines whether some of these functions

19 can be carried out more efficiently by other organi20 zations or within the private sector.

21 (3) Prompt and complete implementation of the

22 recommendations of the audits conducted under

23 paragraphs (1) and (2).
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1 (4)(A) The termination of New York City as

2 the permanent headquarters of the United Nations,

3 and, with that, the termination of the tax-free lucra4 tive permanent positions within the United Nations

5 and its specialized agencies.

6 (B) In lieu of the current headquarters system,

7 the implementation of a rotating system pursuant to

8 which member countries host the United Nations for

9 a limited period of time.

10 (5)(A) The prior approval by the primary donor

11 member countries of the peacekeeping operations of

12 the United Nations.

13 (B) The more careful definition and more effec14 tive execution of United Nations peacekeeping oper15 ations.

16 (6) A United Nations that under no cir17 cumstances is granted taxing power or the right to

18 raise revenues directly.

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