$12 million campaign will press U.S. to pay U.N. debt

March 8, 1999
Web posted at: 10:05 p.m. EST (0305 GMT)

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- A new coalition of groups said Monday it would launch a public relations campaign to get the United States to pay its $1.3 billion debt to the United Nations.

The Better World Fund, set up with the United Nations Foundation one year ago by Ted Turner to distribute his $1 billion gift to the United Nations, will contribute $12 million over the next two years to garner public support for payment of the arrears.

Resources for the public awareness campaign will also come from the Better World Fund's partners in the new coalition -- including the U.N. Association of the U.S., the Emergency Coalition for U.S. Payment of U.N. Arrears and other business leaders.

David Horowitz, a spokesman for Turner's U.N. Foundation, told CNN the $12 million has been allocated for the public education campaign. Horowitz said the Better World Fund is organizing the drive in conjunction with the UNA/USA and the Emergency Coalition for U.S. Payment of U.N. Arrears, which have their own budgets and programs aimed at securing the debt payment.

John Whitehead, vice-chairman of UNA-USA, said, "It is very important that the U.S. play a leading role...other nations resent our aloofness," diminishing Washington's impact on world affairs.

In a letter to Congressional leaders of both parties, coalition members warned that the 1997 Balanced Budget Act's budget authority for payment of the U.S. debt expires in October 2000.

"If Congress does not utilize this budget authority by appropriating funds for U.N. arrears this year, it will be significantly more difficult to gain funding in the future," the letter says.

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