Statement by Mr. SUZUKI Yukio, Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, On the Agenda item 145: Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the UN, at the Main Part of the 75th Session of the Fifth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly

2020/10/5
Mr. Chair,
 
I would first like to thank the members of the Committee on Contributions and the representatives of the Secretariat for presenting their respective reports.
 
Mr. Chair,
 
As one of the major financial contributors to the United Nations, Japan attaches great importance to the scale of assessments. Assessed contributions are the backbone of the United Nations, as they enable the Organization to function effectively and properly. My delegation is firmly 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.
 
In addition, needless to say, taking fully into account the changing global economy, we have to improve methodology for determining assessments so that they better reflect each Member State’s real capacity to pay in a more equitable manner, based on the most current, comprehensive and comparable data available.
 
Mr. Chair,
 
Finally, with regard to the application of Article 19 of the United Nations Charter, my delegation sees the recommendations and observations of the Committee on Contributions regarding exemptions to the Article’s application as appropriate and well-balanced, and fully endorses them, while encouraging those Member States with significant arrears in contributions as reported in the Committee's report to consider submitting multi-year payment plans.
 
I thank you, Mr. Chair.