Interviewed after the session, Ban said he had wanted to draw attention to the fact that the U.S. agrees to pay 22 percent of the U.N.'s $4.86 billion operating budget, but is perennially late with its dues — and now is about $1 billion behind on its payments.
That figure is "soon to be $1.6 billion," Ban emphasized. Asked if he'd used the word "deadbeat" during the meeting, he replied, "Yes, I did — I did," then laughed mischievously.
I see. 'Cause when I think of generosity and responsibility to the global community, I think of South Korea.
9 comments:
Mr.Moon doesn't speak for Korea, he speaks for the UN.
Sorry, Mr.Ban Ki-Moon
US failure to make its promised payments when they're due is a perennial problem at the UN that predates Ban's secretary-generalship. Him saying this has nothing to do with South Korea: he's saying it as UN chief, as other UN chiefs have done before.
Whether that UN attitude is justified or not is a completely different matter, but I'm just saying this has little to do with South Korea. It would be like bashing Austria over California's policies.
As for South Korean generosity and responsibility, I agree that there could be more. But where it exists, it has been very helpful and very welcomed. There is a large contingent of students from East Timor at this university (thanks to the helpful generosity of the US Congress) and they gush praise about the South Koreans who have helped rebuild and protect their newly independent country.
Of course, the response to that is, fine, let's have South Korea spread around even more of that goodness. (As long as it isn't New Orleans ;) ...)
I should learn how to make points as succinctly as Samuel, especially since we're in agreement (though I hadn't seen his comment before I posted).
@ Kushibo
"but I'm just saying this has little to do with South Korea"
- Did he made a statement relevant to this?Im confused.
arvinsign asks:
Did he made a statement relevant to this?Im confused.
Yes. The closing sentence was directed at South Korea in light of the United Nations chief's comment:
I see. 'Cause when I think of generosity and responsibility to the global community, I think of South Korea.
Anyway, it's clear if you hear him speak that Secretary-General Ban trips over his English sometimes. The press polishes his grammar a bit, like when he said (if you took his words at face value) that if Iraqis want to enjoy freedom, security, and prosperity, then they should leave Iraq.
Ban perhaps should not have used such a harsh (and not particularly diplomatic) word such as "deadbeat," but when the US is holding up 7% of the entire budget, that hurts. That tends to eviscerate operations.
These are payments agreed to by the US, and the hold-up, if I recall correctly, is part of a passive-aggressive attempt by the GOP-led Congress (before 2007) and White House (before 2009) to hobble the UN.
One could get into a whole other discussion about why the US should pay for 22% of the operating budget, but perhaps that's the price to pay for veto power and the occasional use of the UN for military and politic ends (like the first Gulf War).
I see. Thanks. I thought that last statement was made by Brian as a sarcasm to the article. My mistake
As far as America's responsibility to the global community, How much money does the States give in foreign aid?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1eyGd-KcX4
Less than 1 percent of America's federal budget is spent on foreign aid.
Samuel: On that note, I will point you towards an interesting entry written by a diplomat friend of mine: http://www.thehegemonist.com/2009/03/us-government-is-not-philanthropic.html
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