In a strong mandate for the United Nations, the summit leaders called for a " thorough and urgent review of the UN's funds and programs, " and urged timely payment of dues by all members and a " more logical and equitable scale of assessments ."
42.
In his speech to the committee, U . S . Ambassador Bill Richardson warned that if the General Assembly failed to revise its scale of assessments and reduce the U . S . share, it " could seriously damage the U . S . relationship with the United Nations ."
43.
"We seek a reduction in the ceiling not to shirk our commitments, but to strike a more appropriate balance " among other U . N . members, Holbrooke told the U . N . Budget Committee on the first day of a weeklong debate on revising the scale of assessments.
44.
To meet the U . S . demand for a cut in its share of the regular budget from 25 percent to 20 percent and of peacekeeping bills from 30 percent to 25 percent, members are debating a new scale of assessments under which the rest of the world would pay a larger share.
45.
The assembly will meet until Sept . 10 and is expected to finalize procedures for the election of judges, adopt the first-year budget and a scale of assessments, establish a working group to define the crime of aggression and draft an annex to the Rome Statute listing banned weapons, projectiles, materials and other methods of war.
46.
U . S . Ambassador Richard Holbrooke said he was heartened by the willingness of all U . N . member states to negotiate a revised scale of assessments, saying " there is no question that it must be made fair and equitable, there is no disagreement that U . N . peacekeeping must be fixed to be saved ."
47.
"The position of the European Union, " a European diplomat said, " is that if the Congress is willing to recognize the damage that is being done to the United States'position at the United Nations _ and indeed the weakening of the U . N . _ and elects then to pay its arrears, then we are prepared to reopen discussion on the scales of assessment ."
