Kuwait rejects increasing developing countries'' shares in UN budget

Click here for story @ KUNA UNITED NATIONS, Oct 4 (KUNA) -- The State of Kuwait has refused any increase in developing countries' contributions to UN budget as opposed to reducing shares of developed countries. Impacts of the global economic crisis resulted in increase of shares of developing countries while on the other side there was a drop in shares of the developed nations "although the developing countries have no role in this crisis which also threatened the international financial system," Kuwaiti Diplomat Ahmad Al-Amiri said at a meeting of the 5th administrative and budget committee while discussing shares of UN member states to UN budget. Kuwait, he said, rejected the increase of shares of developing countries' budgetary contributions. He hoped there would not be excessive hike in the shares of developing countries "in order to prevent undermining their shares which will negatively affect their ability to honor their commitments." Al-Amiri said the ability to pay should remain the major principle to determining shares of member states. He backed recommendations to exempt Republic of Central Africa, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Somalia and Sao Tome and Principe from budgetary contributions because of their domestic circumstances. UN General Assembly bylaw prohibits countries failing to pay their arrears to vote in the UNGA. Kuwait believes in the "important and vital" role of the UN which makes the Gulf state pays its budgetary contribution on time, said Al-Amiri. (end) sj.bs KUNA 042026 Oct 11NNNN