SIMONOVIC ADDRESSES GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON FINANCING U.N.

NEW YORK, Oct 2 (Hina) - Addressing the U.N. General Assembly on Monday, Croatia's permanent representative said the cost of financing U.N.'s regular work and peacekeeping operations was increasing, while some countries' possibilities or willingness to bear their share of the burden differed considerably. Croatia therefore advocates basing contributions on a country's paying ability, Ambassador Ivan Simonovic said, adding financial discipline was significant for United Nations' undisturbed functioning. He said there were countries hardly capable of paying the agreed sum into the U.N. budget entirely and on time, and added paying should be facilitated for countries weighed down by international debt and those with lower income per capita. Simonovic said Croatia agreed with standpoints that the U.N. could not depend on one payer, and that sanctions ought to be imposed on countries not complying with their obligations to the U.N. The Croatian ambassador objected to the fact that U.N. documents continued to record the contribution of SFRY, the former Yugoslav federation, to the world organisation's work. That state no longer exists and nobody is paying the sum, he said, adding also that the share of the current Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) could not be estimated in U.N.'s work costs as it was neither a member nor requested to become one. (hina) ha