UN financing: some reflections

The timely and in full financing of UN's activities is - for each Member State - not only a treaty obligation, but also an expression of its commitment to the UN's purposes and objectives. Furthermore, it is clearly a good investment in global stability. The UN, to be effective, must at all times be assured the funding necessary to carry on the operations decided and entrusted to it by its Member States. Otherwise, the UN is forced to live in a self-defeating state of permanent emergency. In the present unipolar world, the US - sooner or later - has to turn to the UN, looking for legitimacy. The American strategy of using the arrears on its contributions to the UN as a political instrument is an unfortunate and endemic mistake. Coming from the country which can claim to be the backbone of the UN, it frustrates its allies and weakens its bonds of solidarity with most other countries of the world. In addition, it does not allow the US to assume a real leadership role vis a vis the international community at large.