Chinese envoy urges UN member states to pay assessed contributions unconditionally

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday urged relevant United Nations (UN) member states to pay assessed contributions in full, on time and without conditions.

"Sound financial situation is the guarantee for the UN to fulfill its mandates and to implement program activities. Member states should actively fulfill their financial obligations to the UN as set out in the Charter and provide necessary resources to the UN," Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said at a formal meeting of the Fifth Committee of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.

"Despite the dire financial situation of the UN and the secretary-general's repeated calls for timely payment, one member state, with full capacity to pay, still withholds its assessed contributions and leverages them to serve its political agenda, pressing the UN and shifting financial burdens to other member states," said the envoy at the meeting held at the UN headquarters in New York.

"This is the major cause of liquidity crisis. China expresses its serious concern in this regard," said Dai.

"At the same time, China commends many member states who have paid their assessed contributions to support the work of the UN with concrete action despite their difficulties," he added.

The ambassador noted that despite tremendous economic and fiscal pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic, China, as the second largest financial contributor to UN assessed budgets and a responsible developing country, has fully paid its assessed contributions this year.

"We call upon all member states, in particular those with the capacity to pay, to pay their assessed contributions in full, on time, and without conditions," said the envoy.

China, along with the majority of member states, understands the economic and financial difficulties facing some developing countries and supports the General Assembly in making necessary allowance for their situation in accordance with relevant provisions of the UN Charter, said the envoy.

"China firmly opposes any unilateral coercive measures which violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, international law, and the basic norms of international relations," he said.

The Fifth Committee, also known as the Administrative and Budgetary Committee, is one of the six main committees of the UN General Assembly.