Office of the Historian

187. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission to the United Nations1

Washington, September 12, 1972, 2256Z.

166575. Subject: Reduction of U.S. Assessment Rate in UN.

1.
We believe that consultations on 25 percent issue have reached stage where we can usefully begin discussions of draft resolution with [Page 345] appropriate delegations. For example, Mission may wish to discuss with Japanese and Canadians during upcoming bilateral talks. We would be receptive to suggestions towards improving acceptability of resolution.
2.
Draft resolution as informally agreed to by Mission and Department is as follows: “The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 14 (I) of 13 February 1946, 238 (III) of 18 November 1948, 665 (VII) of 5 December 1952, and 1137 (XII) of 14 October 1957, regarding the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations among its members and the fixing of the maximum contribution of any one member state,

Noting that, when it was decided by the General Assembly in 1957 that, in principle, the maximum contribution of any one member state to the ordinary expenses of the United Nations should not exceed 30 percent of the total, the United Nations consisted of eighty-two member states,

Noting further that since the General Assembly decision of 1957, fifty states have been admitted to membership in the United Nations,

Recalling that since the General Assembly decision of 1957 there has been a reduction in the percentage contribution of the state paying the maximum contribution from 33.33 percent to 31.52 percent,

Decides that:

1.
The maximum contribution of any one member state to the ordinary expenses of the United Nations shall not exceed 25 percent of the total;
2.
The Committee on Contributions shall implement operative paragraph 1 in preparing scales of assessment for 1974 and subsequent years by reducing the percentage contribution of the member state paying the maximum contribution by an amount equivalent to (a) the percentage contributions of any newly admitted member states no later than the year following their admission and (b) the increase in the percentage contributions of member states with per capita incomes over dollars one thousand resulting from increases in their net national incomes, until the percentage contribution of the member state paying the maximum contribution shall have been reduced to 25 percent;
3.
The percentage contribution of member states shall not, in any case, be increased as a consequence of the present resolution.”

Rogers
  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, UN 10–4. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Everts; cleared by Hennes, Nielson, Bailey, and Kimball; and approved by von Peterffy.↩