UNITED NATIONS: A cash-strapped United Nations got off to a flying start on its first working day for the new year with 10 countries paying their dues in full for 2003.

A UN spokesman said on Thursday that what was unusual about the early payments was that four of the 10 — Bangladesh, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone — are member states designated by the United Nations as “least developed countries” (LDCs), the poorest of the world’s poor.

“They are the weakest segment of the international community. But their support and commitment to the United Nations is the strongest,” said Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, UN undersecretary-general for Least Developed Countries.

Chowdhury said it was “wonderful” to hear that four of the 10 member states on the UN’s “honour roll” for 2003 were LDCs. “The international donor community, in turn, owes these countries its support and economic assistance for development cooperation.”

“The LDCs are the most economically vulnerable group of countries at the United Nations,” he said, “and they do not have a level playing field.”

Currently, there are 49 LDCs, of which 33 are from sub-Saharan Africa.

The thresholds for inclusion in the list of LDCs include: population of less than 75 million; per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of less than $800; and an Augmented Physical Quality of Life Index (combining health, nutrition and education) of less than 59.

Bangladesh paid $135,000 as its total UN dues for 2003 followed by Mali ($11,800), Senegal ($67,500) and Sierra Leone ($13,500).

The other six countries in the “honour roll” are Armenia, whose UN dues for 2003 amounted to $27,000, Belarus with $256,000, Congo with $13,500, Honduras with $67,500, Latvia with $135,000 and Ukraine $715,500.

The United States, the world’s richest nation, is currently the biggest single defaulter owing more than $800 million to the world body.

To date, total outstanding dues from all member states amount to over $2.6 billion, of which $1.7 billion are arrears accrued in 2002. Also in 2002, only 117 out of a total of 191 member states paid their budget contributions in full, compared with 135 the previous year.

The UN’s budget for 2002-2003 amounts to about $2.6 billion. For 2004-2005, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has proposed a preliminary budget of about $2.9 billion.

Faced with a growing cash crisis, the United Nations is currently on an austerity drive. It has slashed some $75 million in mostly operational expenses in the UN secretariat in New York.

The crisis has been prompted by two factors: first, non-payment or delayed payment of UN dues by member states, and second, outstanding arrears by some of the key contributors to the UN budget, including the United States, Russia, Brazil and Argentina.

When the General Assembly approved the 2002-2003 budget, it was conditional on overall cuts of $75 million in operational services.

The cuts include $19.7 million in general operating expenses, $10 million in information technology, $7.2 million in furniture and equipment, $6.4 million in contractual services, $2.8 million in staff travel, $2 million in the hiring of consultants and experts and $1.4 million in supplies and materials. —Dawn/The InterPress News Service.