By David Brunnstrom
April 28 (Reuters) – The United States has set specific conditions for the release of billions of dollars it owes to the United Nations, such as more cost-cutting and moves to counter China’s influence at the world body, a development news agency reported on Tuesday.
The United States circulated two diplomatic notes calling for nine “quick-hit” reforms in order to release more funds, independent agency Devex, which covers global development, said in the report.
It said these included:
– Overhauling the U.N. pension system
– Ending long-distance business-class travel for some senior and all mid-level professionals
– Further cuts in the U.N.’s senior ranks
– A “10% reduction in long-standing, ineffective peacekeeping missions.”
– Blocking China from channeling tens of millions of dollars each year to a discretionary fund housed in the office of the U.N. secretary-general, a move aimed at countering Chinese influence at the United Nations.
“These reforms will be an indication that the U.N. is serious about reform,” Devex quoted one of the documents as saying.
The U.S. mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The United States has repeatedly said it will keep pushing for U.N. reforms after declaring it was withdrawing from dozens of U.N. bodies this year and having cut millions of dollars in funding last year.
China’s U.N. mission said it had “taken note” of the Devex report, adding, “The root cause of the financial difficulties the United Nations is facing in recent years is the substantial arrears in assessed contributions by its largest contributor” – a reference to the United States.
“We call on the member state concerned to earnestly fulfill its financial obligations to the United Nations and demonstrate its support for the organization through concrete actions,” it said in response to a Reuters request for comment.
China had “consistently and faithfully fulfilled its financial obligations, and has engaged in constructive cooperation with the United Nations,” it said.
“Attempts to block such cooperation not only do not hold any ground, but are also doomed to fail.”
U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said assessed contributions by U.N. member states were “a treaty obligation” and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was already “leading a pretty heavy reform” of the organization.
“It involves decisions that member states must take if we want to have a U.N. that is more effective, that uses its resources in the best way possible,” Dujarric told a news briefing. “The secretary-general is doing everything he can in that direction.”
In January, Guterres warned that the U.N. faced “imminent financial collapse” due to unpaid fees, mostly owed by the United States. In February, the U.N. said the United States had paid about $160 million of the more than $4 billion it owes.
The U.S. owed $2.19 billion to the regular U.N. budget at the start of February, more than 95% of the total then owed by countries globally.
It owed another $2.4 billion for current and past peacekeeping missions and $43.6 million for U.N. tribunals.
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Don Durfee, Chizu Nomiyama and Clarence Fernandez)
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