[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 21 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 21

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to 
  withholding United States financial support from the United Nations 
            unless that organization adopts certain reforms.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 7, 1997

 Mr. Stearns submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to 
  withholding United States financial support from the United Nations 
            unless that organization adopts certain reforms.

Whereas the United Nations, for the most part, has ignored or evaded the clear 
        purpose of section 143 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 
        Fiscal Years 1986 and 1987, as enacted in August of 1985, which required 
        the United States to reduce its 25 percent share of the general United 
        Nations budget to 20 percent unless a weighted system of voting on 
        budget matters was adopted by the United Nations and its specialized 
        agencies;
Whereas there is a total lack of accountability of United States tax dollars 
        allocated to the United Nations, there is no reliable way to determine 
        whether the various and often competing specialized agencies within the 
        United Nations are accomplishing their objectives, and many United 
        Nations activities, even if they are of some value, can be carried out 
        more effectively and efficiently by other groups;
Whereas the United Nations is overrun with mismanagement;
Whereas United States taxpayers pay 25 percent of the United Nations budget, 
        plus 31 percent of the budgets of the specialized agencies of the United 
        Nations, and additional billions of United States dollars go to the 
        International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and other United Nations-
        related lending agencies, where the funds have been used for dubious 
        United Nations projects;
Whereas the United Nations headquarters in New York City provides foreign 
        nationals with high-paying, tax-free jobs, which amount to little more 
        than subsidized positions that are used at times for espionage 
        activities;
Whereas these jobs are lucrative, the compensation for them is out of proportion 
        with compensation for similar jobs, and the numerous perks that 
        accompany the jobs, including monthly rent subsidies and tax free 
        education grants, are costly;
Whereas the recommendations contained in the report issued in 1993 by the then 
        Under Secretary General for Administration and Management of the United 
        Nations, Richard Thornburgh--namely, the establishment of an inspector 
        general with meaningful authority, a common standard for accounting, and 
        a code of conduct for senior management--have been for the most part 
        ignored; and
Whereas in all, 91 of 185 member countries, including the United States, are in 
        arrears in their payments to the United Nations: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,

SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

    It is the sense of the House of Representatives that unless the 
conditions set forth in section 2 are met, the United States should 
withdraw all financial support from the United Nations and its 
specialized agencies.

SEC. 2. CONDITIONS.

    The conditions referred to in section 1 are the adoption and 
implementation by the United Nations and its specialized agencies of 
all of the following:
            (1) A comprehensive, independent audit of the United 
        Nations and its specialized agencies that is conducted by an 
        adequately staffed, completely independent inspector general 
        who has unrestricted access to all records of the United 
        Nations and those agencies.
            (2) An audit of the functions of the United Nations that 
        examines whether some of these functions can be carried out 
        more efficiently by other organizations or within the private 
        sector.
            (3) Prompt and complete implementation of the 
        recommendations of the audits conducted under paragraphs (1) 
        and (2).
            (4)(A) The termination of New York City as the permanent 
        headquarters of the United Nations, and, with that, the 
        termination of the tax-free lucrative permanent positions 
        within the United Nations and its specialized agencies.
            (B) In lieu of the current headquarters system, the 
        implementation of a rotating system pursuant to which member 
        countries host the United Nations for a limited period of time.
            (5)(A) The prior approval by the primary donor member 
        countries of the peacekeeping operations of the United Nations.
            (B) The more careful definition and more effective 
        execution of United Nations peacekeeping operations.
            (6) A United Nations that under no circumstances is granted 
        taxing power or the right to raise revenues directly.
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