by Emanuel Evans
18 November 2008
In the Fifth Committee, delegates are considering a draft resolution on the scale of assessments which contains a variety of proposals and models from Member States in regard to the methodology used to determine Member States’ dues for the period 2010-2012. The following provides an analysis as well as a chart comparing the various proposals as per draft resolution dated 10 November 2008, Rev. 3. A decision on which model to use would be made during the main session of the 64th General Assembly.
The 10 November draft resolution in the Fifth Committee on the Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations contains a large section of draft proposals from Member States in regard to the methodology used to determine Member States’ dues. These proposals concern the 2010-2012 period. The differences are mostly highly technical, but a few aspects stand out. First is the method for determining conversion rates: the proposals by CANZ, Mexico, the G77, and the US all include exceptions for excessive distortions and fluctuations, while the proposals from the European Union (EU) and Japan do not. Second is the ceiling: most proposals include the current 22% ceiling, but the G77 proposal raises it to 25% while the EU’s Model 10 does not mention it at all. The EU’s Model 4 eliminates the debt burden adjustment. A radical proposal is the U.S.’s first model, which uses Purchasing Power Parity instead of Gross National Income (GNI), a change that some countries say does not reflect the principle of “capacity to pay.”
Click here for a comparison of the proposals.