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United Nations Operations (Contributions)

Volume 643: debated on Wednesday 28 June 1961

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35.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what contributions in cash, kind and services have been made to date by the United Kingdom and other countries, respectively, to the United Nations operations, both civil and military, in the former Belgian Congo.

Contributions by Her Majesty's Government

  • (a) Assessed share of the cost of United Nations operations in the Congo (see (2) below):
    • 1960 (July 14-December 31)—$3,768,002.
    • 1961 (January 1-October 31)—$7,706,785.
  • (b) Contribution to the United Nations Special Fund for the Congo: $3,000,000, and;
    • Famine Relief: Food shortages in Leopoldville area—£10,000.
    • Famine in Kasai Province—£5,000.
    • 150 army tents for hospital use in Kasai province.
    • (Large sums of money were donated voluntarily by the British public for the Kasai famine).
  • (c) Airlifts in support of the United Nations operation:
  • R.A.F. aircraft have carried out numerous tasks, principally in support of Commonwealth contingents to the United Nations Force. The total amounts moved to date are:
    • Men—12,000.
    • Freight—500 tons.
    Her Majesty's Government agreed to waive reimbursement in respect of these operations up to an amount of $520,000.

    (2) Assessed Contributions to the Cost of the United Nations Congo Operation

    Details of assessments, and of amounts paid will be found in United Nations Document No. ST/ADM/SER.B/144 of the 16th of May, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

    (3) Waiver of Claims to Reimbursement in Respect of Airlift Cost

    Member Nations who have made significant contributions to the task of transporting the United Nations Force to the Congo agreed to waive their claims to reimbursement of the costs for the period up to the 31st of December, 1960. Figures are:

    $
    Canada650,000
    U.S.S.R1,301,750
    U.K.520,000
    U.S.A.10,317,622

    (4) Contributions to the United Nations Special Fund for the Congo

    CountryPledgedReceived
    $$
    Australia750,000750,000
    Cambodia2,0402,040
    Canada1,000,0001,000,000
    Denmark600,000600,000
    Haiti2,000
    India105,000105,000
    Iran25,00025,000
    Ireland25,00025,000
    Liberia250,00083,333
    Morocco39,526
    Netherlands1,000,000131,012
    Norway490,616490,616
    New Zealand280,000280,000
    Philippines10,000
    Sweden1,391,3041,391,304
    Tunisia10,000
    United Kingdom3,000,0003,000,000
    United States10,000,00010,000,000
    TOTAL18,980,48617,883,305

    (5) Contributions to the United Nations Force in the Congo

    Strengths of the various contingents have varied during the eleven months that the United Nations Force have been in the Congo.

    The following table gives approximate figures for contingents at present in the Congo:

    Austria60
    Brazil30
    Canada290
    Ceylon10
    Denmark60
    Ethiopia2,480
    Ghana1,660
    India4,700
    Ireland670
    Italy130
    Liberia450
    Malaya1,100
    Nigeria2,080
    Norway100
    Pakistan540
    Sweden840
    Switzerland20
    Tunisia3,160

    (6) Governmental Contributions to the Food and Agriculture Organisation Famine Relief Programme (excluding contributions by Her Majesty's Government shown above)

    Offers or donations made to the Food and Agriculture Organisation were as follows:

    Maize: United States, Nigeria.

    Rice: Portugal, United Arab Republic, Vietnam, United States, Spain, Netherlands/Surinam, Pakistan, Cameroun.

    Dried Fish: Norway, West Germany, Portugal.

    Palm Oil: Norway.

    Dried Milk: United States, Norway, West Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, South Africa.

    Miscellaneous Foodstuffs: Portugal, Morocco, Norway, France.

    Hospital Tents: France.

    Transport: United States.

    The Government of Tanganyika donated £1,000 to the United Nations for famine relief work in August, 1960.

    The figures in the reply are based on the latest available reports but are not fully up to date in all cases. Whilst the reply is exhaustive so far as contributions from Her Majesty's Government are concerned, we do not have complete details of all contributions in kind and services from other countries.