U.N. Funds Crisis Session Ends

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30171, 1 July 1963, Page 6

U.N. Funds Crisis Session Ends

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NEW YORK, June 27. The United Nations General Assembly dosed, its special session on finances today after adopting a series of short-term measures to ease the financial crisis.

The wider issue will be examined when the General Assembly meets for its regular annual session in September. The Soviet Union held out no hope of a change of her attitude towards the problem, voting against all seven resolutions called up from the Budgetary Committee. The committee had been discussing the issue since the Assembly opened on May 14 fdr only its fourth special session in United Nations history.

France, which has refused te pay about 15 million dollars in Congo peace-keeping dues, voted against all resolutions except one; she cast an abstention on the resolution to appropriate 9,500.000 dollars for the Middle East Emergency Force. The Soviet Union risks the loss of voting rights in the Assembly in 1964 unless arrears of about 50 million dollars are paid, but chief Soviet delegate, Dr. Nikolai Fedorenko. told the Assembly today that “pressure and blackmail on us will end in failure.”

Voting in the Assembly showed France and the Soviet Bloc virtually isolated. Many backers of the resolutions had sought this situation hoping that the resultant pressure, particularly from the small states might bring about an ultimate change of heart. In separate decisions, all adopted by, wide margins, the 111-member Assembly: Aiuithonieed a total of 442,500,000 dollars to Congo and Middle East Force appropriations. 5500,000 dollars of this sum to be shared ait the regular scale as assessments, with the remainder subject to 55 per cenit. rebates for the poorer countries, the wealthier states making up the shontflaill by extra payments. The United States will make a voluntary contributicn of about two million dollars, Britain, 250,000 dollars. .

Declared that peace-keeping expenses are the “collective responsibility of all

member state* of the United Neteom.” Appealed to member* to arrange by October 31 to pay their arrears, without prejudice to political ■* or juridical objections. Extended the period of aale of United Nations bonds with its target of 200 million doMars to the end of IM3.

Asked the Secretary-General (U Thant) to explore the possibility of setting up a peace fund tor Mfture costly peace-keeping oper-

ations. Kept in being a special 21member working group, with instructions for it to come up with a plan for the equitable sharing of peace - keeping expenses by September, 1964.