

Area: Aen_News

Date : Aug 26 '94, 02:46                                             Scn
From : Al Thompson                                           1:231/110.0
To   : All                                 
Subj : UN Dues                                                               


AP 08/25
 
   UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- In an effort to ease the financial crisis
facing U.N. peacekeeping, the United States has agreed to pay the
nearly $900 million it owes in arrears, the U.S. ambassador said
Thursday.

   Madeleine K. Albright said President Clinton would sign a bill in
the next few days authorizing $1.2 billion for U.N. peacekeeping.
The funds will cover the back dues and $300 million toward the 1995
budget.

   "This shows the commitment of the United States toward the United
Nations and peacekeeping," Albright told The Associated Press in a
telephone interview. "This was not an easy task, given the tight
money."

   Many members of Congress had balked at paying the growing bill
for U.N. peacekeeping, saying it was too expensive, the United
Nations was too wasteful and domestic U.S. concerns must take a
higher priority.

   The United States pays about one-third of the U.N. peacekeeping
budget and Washington's debt worsened the financial bind.
 
   "It will ease the cash flow problems that are so acute now that a
week ago we could not fly the Australian medical unit into Rwanda
because there was not enough money," said Fred Eckhard, a U.N.
spokesman.

   U.N. peacekeeping arrears currently total about $2.5 billion.

   The United States is the largest debtor, followed by Russia,
which owes $600 million.

   The U.S. announcement comes a day after the United Nations named
a senior German diplomat as the first U.N. inspector-general, an
independent post that investigates waste, mismanagement and
corruption.

   The establishment of the watchdog had been a key U.S. demand and
followed charges of U.N. mismanagement and corruption, including
allegations of bid-rigging in U.N. peacekeeping contracts.

   The United Nations currently has 73,000 troops in 17 peacekeeping
operations around the world. Only 900 of those soldiers are
Americans.

   The U.N. peacekeeping budget for 1994 was $3.5 billion.

   Albright said $335 million would be made available as soon as
Clinton signed the bill and an additional $335 million would likely
be paid by the end of September.

   The remaining $530 million will pay other back dues and the
United States' peacekeeping assessment for 1995.

   The United States also owes $229 million in general dues, and is
expected to pay that sum after Oct. 1.
 

--- GEcho 1.00
 * Origin: Gun Control=Criminals & Gestapo vs. the Unarmed. (1:231/110)

