Mar. 13, 2007: UN Funding and Plans

Burkean Canuck

burkeancanuck.blogspot.com/2007/03/
what-canada-and-permanent-members-of.html

What Canada and the permanent members of the Security Council contribute to the UN , Russ Kuykendall on March 8, 2007

(Cross-posted from Burkean Canuck).
The permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and their contributions (U.S. dollars) to the Regular Fund of the UN for 2006:

United States of America. Contribution to the "Regular Fund": $423, 464,855 (22% of total fund);

The United Kingdom. Contribution to the "Regular Fund": $117,934,962 (6.127% of total fund);

Republic of France. Contribution to the "Regular Fund": $116,067,867 (6.03% of total fund); ***

People's Republic of China. Contribution to the "Regular Fund": $39,516,971 (2.053% of total fund); and

Russian Federation. Contribution to the "Regular Fund": $21,173,243 (1.1% of total fund).

And Canada . . . Contribution to the "Regular Fund": $54,145,756 (2.813% of total fund). For more, see here (these amounts don't include the financial contributions to UN Peacekeeping, which are considerable. In Canada's case, this amounts to $133.6 million (U.S.). Nor does it include the following:

Canada is among the top ten donors to the [www.unsystem.org/] UN System of funds, programs and agencies, such as the UN Development Program, UNICEF and the World Health Organization, providing over US$600 million dollars a year in core and program funding.

So, somewhere in the neighbourhood of in excess of $780 million (U.S.), or about 875 million Canadian dollars. Here's the list of the top ten donors:
www.globalpolicy.org/finance/tables/system/topten.htm [....]

Burkean Canuck -- worth reading. Does anyone else feel that those who actually pay for the UN--by far the biggest contributor is the US--should be treated with more respect?

*** Why is France so influential in the UN and in Canada, using the UN and particularly, promoting the UNESCO / UN Protocol on Protection of ... [blah blah blah] ... which encompasses more than language? There is also a post Trudeaupean concern for Canada's natives and their culture (which has become dear to France and UN types), along with other causes. What do France and the UN really want? Oil? Minerals in the north? Power? Influence? I wish the feds would get France and its influence via Quebec politicians and their hangers on out of Canadians' lives; that's the ROC's lives to which I'm referring. Memo to Quebec politicians: What does France want from you and yours? Read the fine print and reconsider Canada.


The Global Policy Forum may be less than scientific. See: New GPF Page on Global Climate Change
www.globalpolicy.org/

Scientists agree that human activity causes a rise in both average world temperatures and the occurrence of extreme weather events.

Do scientists agree?

UN Finance

www.globalpolicy.org/finance/index.htm

The United Nations and all its agencies and funds spend about $20 billion each year, or about $3 for each of the world's inhabitants. This is a very small sum compared to most government budgets and it is just a tiny fraction of [....]

Many proposals for UN reform deal with restructuring the UN’s funding. Some suggest that the UN must seek alternative financing sources to fund its programs. Proposals include instituting a global tax on currency transactions, while others propose environmental taxes and taxes on the arms-trade. [....]

Background Information and Analysis on UN Finance
... including a history and a detailed chronology of the UN financial situation.

Tables and Charts on UN Finance
... data on member states’ assessments, payments and debts to the UN budgets.

General Articles on UN Finance
... including the status of member states’ payments to the UN and how some countries, including in particular the US, fail to pay on time and in full. [Re-check the figures above]

UN Documents on UN Finance
...

Financing of UN Programmes, Funds and Specialized Agencies
...

Alternative Financing for the UN -- This section provides information on alternative financing proposals (of the UN and development in general), including global taxes.

www.globalpolicy.org/finance/alternat/newindx.htm

Taking Action on UN Finance
This section includes information on the Millennium Mobilization, a call for action, and other activities related to the UN's financial dificulties.

General Analysis on Alternative Financing for the UN
... the need for alternative financing sources for the UN and looks at specific proposals, including a global lottery and an international financing facility.

Global Taxes

www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/glotax/index.htm

Many experts have suggested alternative financing schemes such as global taxes to improve the UN financial situation and make the organization less dependent on state contributions. This page explores global taxes and their dual role as policy instruments and as revenue sources for international programs and institutions. The page gives special attention to currency transaction taxes (Tobin tax) and energy taxes.

Links and Resources on UN Finance
...

I suspect it might be worth reading ... plans, plans, plans.

Have Canadians ever had a chance to vote on whether they think continued support for the UN is worth the money? Is continuing influence from the UN in Canada a positive or a negative? Has its effectiveness in anything other than its own growth and perpetuation been assessed? Let's have a debate, at least. Forget the Mothercorps; it is too biased for reasoned debate. The Blogosphere?