Statement by Mr. Katsuhiko Imada, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, Agenda Item 140: Scale of Assessments for the Apportionment of the Expenses of the United Nations, Main Part of the Seventy-Second Session of the Fifth Committee

 
          I wish to express my appreciation to Ambassador Bernardo Greiver, the Chairman of the Committee on Contributions, for introducing the committee’s report, and also Mr. Lionel Berridge, Chief of Contributions and Policy Coordination Service, for presenting the Secretary-General’s report on the multi-year payment plans.
 
Mr. Chairman,
 
          As one of the major financial contributors to the United Nations, Japan attaches great importance to the scale of assessments.  Japan has paid its dues faithfully, despite the fact that we are continuously faced with economic and financial difficulties at home. My delegation is of the view that we should respect and maintain the basic principle that each Member State of the United Nations should pay its assessed contribution according to its “capacity to pay.”
 
Mr. Chairman,
 
          Taking fully into account the changing world economic situation, we have to find a methodology that would better reflect each Member State’s real and current capacity to pay in a more equitable way, based on the most current, comprehensive and comparable data available.  My delegation would like to actively participate in the coming negotiation process so that we may reach a consensus on how to maintain the future sustainability of the Organization.
 
          As for the application of Article 19 of the Charter, my delegation endorses the recommendations of the Committee on Contributions regarding the exemptions to its application, while encouraging those Member States under application of Article 19 to consider submitting multi-year payment plans.
 
I thank you, Mr. Chairman.