Congress Moves to Cut U.N. Funding By Up to a Half (who needs Bolton?)

[G_j]

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0609-05.htm

Published on Thursday, June 9, 2005 by Inter Press Service

Congress Moves to Cut U.N. Funding

by Jim Lobe

WASHINGTON - In a move virtually certain to add to strains between the U.S. Congress and the United Nations, the International Relations Committee (HIRC) of the House of Representatives Wednesday approved a sweeping bill that, if passed into law, will require Washington to withhold up to half of assessed U.S. contributions to the world body unless it implements specific reforms.

Among other ”reforms,” The United Nations Reform Act of 2005, which is expected to be approved on the House floor next week, would also require the U.N. to fund most of its programs through voluntary contributions, rather than mandatory dues from its 191 member-states, and enable Washington to pick and choose those programs it wished to fund.
<snip>

We are very disappointed in the approval of a bill that will most likely trigger new U.N. arrears for the U.S. The last time the U.S. withheld funds, it led to a huge debt to the U.N. and inhibited our ability to lead within the institution.
ex-Sen. Tim Wirth
president of the independent United Nations Foundation

<snip>
It would also require the U.N. to set up a number of new oversight boards to investigate the U.N. bureaucracy and specific agencies, as well as adopt new rules that would bar alleged human rights violators from serving the U.N. Human Rights Commission.

..more..

[SteppingRazor]

1. Since we're already in arrears in our UN dues by millions,

this actually changes very little. Though the statement it makes certainly affects things.

[G_j]

2. did Ted Turner pay some of that off?

wasn't it US dues he payed a few years ago?
Not that the US doesn't owe more by now.