SCALE OF ASSESSMENTS: REQUEST FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 002167 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC KUNR UNGA SUBJECT: SCALE OF ASSESSMENTS: REQUEST FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON THE UNPAID CONTRIBUTIONS OF FORMER YUGOSLAVIA REF: USUN 01902 ¶1. SUMMARY: Ambassador Wallace met November 14 with Croatian Permanent Representative Amb. Mirjana Mladineo on a proposal of the successor states of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) to resolve the issue of unpaid assessed contributions of the former Yugoslavia. Amb. Mladineo noted that the successor states disputed the Secretariat's report (A/60/140) that calculated the assessed arrears for the successor states as being $16,135,838, rather than $784,545 which Mladineo claimed as the actual amount owed. She underscored the distinction between the debts of the former Yugoslavia that occurred prior to and then following the dissolution of the SFRY. The successor states do not believe they should be responsible for the assessed contributions after the disbanding of the SFRY. Mladineo mentioned her successor state colleagues were also demarching other Member States, with a particular emphasis on working the EU to find an acceptable position. END SUMMARY ¶2. Amb. Mladineo presented Amb. Wallace with a detailed version of the successor state proposal. A summary section from the proposal follows below. The entire document will be e-mailed to IO/MPR. SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSAL OF THE SUCCESSOR STATES OF THE SOCIALIST FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA FOR THE RESOLUTION OF THE ISSUE OF UNPAID ASSESSED CONTRIBUTIONS OF FORMER YUGOSLAVIA: The successor states of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia urge the UN member states to resolve the issue of unpaid assessed contributions based on the common position of the successor states according to the principles of general international law and today known facts that are: -During 1991-1992, the Socialist Fender Republic of Yugoslavia, which was a founding member of the United Nations in 1945, underwent a process of dissolution and ceased to exist (SC/Res/777/92 and UNGA/RES/47/1/1992, -It is known that on the following dates the successor states proclaimed their independence or proclaimed their new state: that is, for Slovenia: 25 June 1991; Macedonia: 17 September 1991; Croatia 8 October 1991; Bosnia and Herzegovina: 6 March 1992; Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro): 27 April 1992. -After the extensive review of all pertaining financial documentation to the account of SFRY the accurate unpaid assessed contributions amount to $784,545. -Each of the successor states commit itself to remit the equitable proportion of the amount of the outstanding contributions of the SFRY in accordance with the proportions set forth and agreed in the Agreement on Succession Issues (Vienna, 29 June 2001). -Outstanding amount that exceeds the amount that could be considered outstanding by the successor states should be reversed in the books and records of the UN. -The above resolution of the issue of unpaid assessed contributions of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia would represent the final solution of the issue. ¶3. ACTION REQUEST: The Fifth Committee is expected to debate a resolution on this topic this Fall. USUN requests guidance on how to proceed given the large disparity in the amount between the Secretariat's report (A/60/140) that notes the successor states should be assessed $16,135,838 and the successor states view that they only owe $784,545. END REQUEST BOLTON