Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1990 > Committee of Public Accounts > Final Report - Appropriation Accounts 1988

APPENDIX 2

ARREARS DUE FROM THE UNITED NATIONS IN RESPECT OF UNIFIL.

1. The concern of the Committee of Public Accounts in relation to the arrears due from the United Nations in respect of this country’s participation in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was communicated to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

2. The position is that the arrears arise largely as a result of the failure (a) of Eastern European countries to pay their contributions to UNIFIL and (b) of the USA after 1986 to pay its full contributions to UNIFIL.

3. The Minister for Foreign Affairs avails of every suitable opportunity to raise with the repesentatives of countries in arrears in respect of UN peacekeeping the desirability of paying these arrears at an early date. This point has been made to the representatives of the USA and the USSR many times. The Minister has also discussed the matter with the UN Secretary General, who is deeply concerned about the financial situation of the peacekeeping forces.

4. The USA and the USSR have the largest arrears in respect of UN peace keeping. Both have, however, stated their intention to pay their assessed contributions to UNIFIL in full in the future and to repay the amounts they owe over a number of years. The Soviet Union have already begun to do this. It is believed that President Bush is sincere in his commitment to pay off US arrears, but that the problem lies with the US Congress.

5. The Twelve Member States of the EC have made a joint approach to the US State Department through Heads of Mission in Washington and have lobbied the appropriate Congressional Committees on this question.

6. Reduction of the amount due to this country from the UN depends largely on when and to what extent the USA and the USSR pay their arrears.