B4-1234, 1250, 1252, 1262, 1273, 1280 and 1287/95

Resolution on the financial crisis of the United Nations

The European Parliament,

A. whereas the United Nations Organization is celebrating in October 1995 its 50th anniversary,

B. whereas for 50 years the UN has provided a basis for building a civilized international community; whereas it is the only worldwide organization likely to be able in the future to develop a genuine capability for mediation in international conflicts,

C. having regard to the serious financial crisis it is now undergoing as a result of the lack of political will of member states to shoulder their responsibilities and pay their contributions to the organization, as the Spanish Presidency noted on behalf of the European Union at the General Assembly on 28 September 1995,

D. whereas the current critical financial situation of the UN should be addressed with the utmost urgency to reach an early agreement on financial contributions as a basis for the necessary broad reforms, ruling out unilateral decisions,

E. whereas, although the UN Charter makes assessed contributions - once agreed - a binding obligation on member states under international law, a sum of US $3.8 billion in payments due by member states is still outstanding,

F. whereas, at the end of the first half of 1995, the Member States of the European Union had supplied more than 50% of the contributions to the UN's ordinary budget and its peace-keeping operations; recognizing, however, that some EU Member States are among the debtors,

G. whereas almost all the UN specialized agencies are also experiencing financial difficulties; drawing attention to the disproportionate effect of uniform percentage cuts on some of the least costly UN operations, such as the ad hoc tribunals for war crimes in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia,

H. whereas the US is the UN's biggest debtor, owing more than a billion dollars, followed by Russia and Japan,

The European Parliament,

1. Calls for the United Nations Organization to be substantially strengthened by both organizational and financial support to enable it to play a more active role in crisis prevention, preventive diplomacy and consolidating and keeping peace;

2. Calls therefore for member states to pay their contributions and, where appropriate, for sanctions against 'bad payers', applying the statutes in force;

3. Calls on the Member States of the Union to approach the Security Council with a view to ensuring that the ad hoc tribunals on the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda receive funding and that all UN member states facilitate investigations and the search for war criminals, without creating obstructions; calls once again on the General Assembly to adopt the final draft statute for a permanent criminal court;

4. Calls on the Member States of the European Union to participate actively in the current negotiations aimed at strengthening and reforming UN financing, recognizing that the provision of the necessary resources would allow the UN to contribute more effectively to the promotion of the economic and social advancement and the security of all peoples;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the United States, Russia and Japan and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.