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  4. Document 262

501.BB Summaries/11–1646: Telegram

Senator Austin to the Secretary of State

New York , November 16, 1946—9:25 p.m.

[via Courier]

817. Committee V (26th Meeting). Firm support for the U.S. position on the Scale of Contributions was voiced by SYG Lie at a meeting of Committee V on November 16. Recommending a floor as well as a ceiling, the SYG suggested an increase in some of the smaller quotas and urged all countries to be prepared to invest a considerable sum in the UN, which was designed to secure world peace and security.2

[Here follows discussion of other Fifth Committee items.]

Austin

  1. The summary record of the meeting says simply that “In reply to observations that had been made by certain representatives during previous discussions of the budget, the Secretary-General presented a detailed statement explaining the various sections of the preliminary budget estimates for the years 1946 and 1947. …” (GA(I/2), Fifth Committee, p. 117). The Secretary-General’s statement was printed as annex 4 of the proceedings of the Committee (ibid., pp. 291 ff.). His remarks about the contributions question came near the end of his statement: “Finally, I want to say something about contributions. This is, of course, a matter which the Member nations must decide. But there are two questions of principle which involve the Organization as a whole, and which I feel it is the duty of the Secretary General to discuss.

    “It is my opinion that there should be both an upward limit and a downward limit to the amount which any State should pay.

    “I feel that every Member State can properly be expected to make substantial contribution to the expenses.

    “The present figure for some countries should be increased. …

    “In regard to the second question, namely, the proportion of our expenses to be paid by any Member State, I agree in principle with what has been said by the United States representative in this Committee.

    “Current conditions may make it necessary for one State to bear a very high percentage of the budget. But I feel that it would be undesirable from every point of view to allow this condition to continue over a period of many years.

    “The international character of the United Nations would be threatened if one State were made to feel that it was primarily responsible for maintaining the Organization in a financial way.

    “Even at the cost of sacrifice we must guard against anything which will threaten the independence and freedom of action and the true international nature of our Organization. I am glad that the United States has discussed the question on this plane.” (Ibid., pp. 297, 298)

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