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Copyright 1999 InterPress Service, all rights reserved.
Worldwide distribution via the APC networks.
*** 21-Dec-99 ***
Title: POLITICS-UN: US-EU Put Pressure on Third World
By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 21 (IPS) - The United States and the European
Union (EU), two of the world's major aid donors, are both applying
political pressure on developing countries to silence critics
while also seeking support for Western resolutions put before the
United Nations.
''We have reached a point where not only are we being pressured
here but also in our capitals, where some American and European
envoys have implicitly threatened to cut off aid unless we fall in
line with their thinking," one Third World diplomat told IPS.
An African delegate, a strong critic of the United States within
the UN's Administrative and Budgetary Committee, was assigned to
another committee by his government because of US intervention,
according to the diplomat.
Last month a US diplomat asked an Asian ambassador to put his
delegate here ''on a leash'' because he was too critical of US
proposals in the budgetary committee, he added.
Among many contentious issues at the United Nations this year
has been the EU-sponsored resolution calling for a global ban on
capital punishment. Despite arm-twisting and cajoling by European
nations, however, the resolution was withdrawn in the face of
overwhelming Third World opposition.
Ambassador Kishore Mahbubani of Singapore said the 15-member
European Union tried to use ''coercion over persuasion'' in its
efforts to get support for its resolution.
One of the reasons why the resolution was withdrawn was a
substantive amendment by Egypt, which would have diluted the
original resolution seeking a moratorium and an eventual ban on
the death penalty worldwide. The amendment had more supporters
than the EU resolution.
''One of my fellow ambassadors from the Non-Aligned Movement
(NAM) told me that he had received an angry message from his
capital informing him that an EU ambassador in his capital had
strongly protested his decision to co-sponsor Egypt's
amendments,'' Mahbubani told delegates last week.
''Dark hints were made that EU assistance to that country would
be affected. I hope that the chairman of NAM (South Africa) has
taken note that such pressures may be occurring,'' he complained.
Mahbubani challenged the EU to make ''a clear statement'' that
it will not use aid as a weapon in the debate on the death
penalty.
''At the same time, we hope that the European non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), who are the real driving force behind this
resolution, will ensure that babies are not deprived of milk
because their governments are implementing the laws of their land
on the death penalty.''
The US, on the other hand, has been exerting strong political
pressure on developing nations seeking support for a long list of
conditions laid down by the US Congress in return for the payment
of some 1.3 billion dollars in US dues owed to the world body.
Washington has sent several emissaries to Third World capitals
trying to whip up support on two major issues: zero nominal
growth for the UN budget for 2000-2001 and reduction of US
assessed contributions.
The United States, which currently pays 25 percent of the UN's
regular budget and 30 percent of the peacekeeping budgets, wants
them reduced to 22 and 25 percent respectively.
The Administrative and Budgetary Committee has been holding
round-the-clock meetings, including weekend negotiations, trying
to seek agreement on a zero nominal growth budget.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan wants 2.56 billion dollars for
his 2000-2001 biannual budget while the US wants it trimmed to
2.53 billion dollars: a reduction of about 300 million dollars.
The reduction of the UN budget is one of the conditions laid
down by Congress for payment of US arrears.
The US Congress also is seeking zero nominal growth for budgets
of three UN agencies, namely the International Labour Organisation
(ILO), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Congress wants the US assessed contributions to these three
agencies reduced from the present 25 percent to 22 percent.
One African diplomat told IPS that the US message is that ''a
vote against the United States is a vote against the United
Nations.''
The argument is that, if a majority of member states refuse to
go along with Washington's demands, Congress will refuse to pay
the US arrears thereby worsening the UN's current financial
crisis.
Early next year, the United Nations will also begin
negotiations on a US request to reduce its dues.
But the 133 developing nations of the Group of 77 say that
since assessed dues are based on ''capacity to pay'', there is no
legitimate reason why US dues should be reduced.
They argue that, since the US share of the world economy is
more than 26 percent, the United Nations should really increase,
not decrease, US dues to the world body. (END/IPS/td/mk/99)
Origin: ROMAWAS/POLITICS-UN/
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[c] 1999, InterPress Third World News Agency (IPS)
All rights reserved
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