BEYOND FINANCING - GIVING THE UNITED-NATIONS POWER OF THE PURSE

The present financial constraint on UN activities is primarily of a de velopmental-rather than strategic, geopolitical-nature. It stems from such factors as: the blurring of the dichotomy between North and South ; caution about intergovernmental cooperation which might reduce natio nal sovereignty; and hesitation to accept the need for a fundamentally new development paradigm. Yet, strengthening of the UN is at the same time one of the critical conditions required for the international co mmunity effectively to address the growing problems of global poverty, socioeconomic inequity and environmental degradation. It is, therefor e, imperative urgently to find a way out of the present political stal emate surrounding the UN's role. The present article suggests two poss ible steps forward: (1) to shift the burden of financing the UN from n ational to global sources-by introducing charges for the use of global commons or levies on international activities such as trade and forei gn currency transactions; and (2) to strengthen the UN's capacity to h armonize global policy priorities with global spending priorities-by c reating under the UN's umbrella, an integrated international cooperati on fund and an executive committee for ECOSOC.