Japan wants minimum UN dues for Security Council nations    

March 10, 2006
Zee News 
Original Source: http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=280830&sid=WOR

Tokyo, Mar 10: Japan, the second largest contributor to the United Nations, called today for minimum dues for permanent members of the Security Council, forcing China and Russia to pay more or lose their seats.
Japan has threatened to slash its funding to the United Nations after failing last year to win one of the prestigious seats, in part due to strong opposition by China.

The proposal submitted to the world body would require each permanent member to pay at least three per cent or five per cent of the UN budget. Japan contributes 19.47 per cent, second only to the United States at 22.0 per cent.

The Japanese government will proactively participate in negotiations over the rate of contributions to make sure they fairly represent member states' economies as well as their status and responsibility at the United Nations, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Despite wielding influence as permanent members of the Security Council with veto power, China contributes only 2.053 per cent and Russia pays 1.1 per cent of the UN budget, according to the ministry's statistics.

The proposal said Japan's burden would fall to 15.7 per cent if both China and Russia were forced to pay at least three per cent of the UN budget.
The burden of Germany -- which sought a permanent Security Council seat in the failed joint bid with Japan, Brazil and India -- would slip from 8.662 per cent to 8.2 per cent under the three-per cent proposal.