VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0115 0572323
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 262323Z FEB 10
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8239
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO PRIORITY 0021

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000115 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR UNSC UY
SUBJECT: URUGUAYAN FINANCE MINISTER SAYS UN OFFICIALS 
BLAMING U.S. AND OTHERS' ARREARS FOR LATE PAYMENT TO 
URUGUAYAN PEACEKEEPERS 
 
¶1. (SBU) Uruguayan Minister of Economy and Finance Alvaro 
Garcia requested a meeting with Ambassador Wolff to express 
Uruguay's concern about the UN's late disbursements to 
Uruguayan peacekeepers.  Garcia said Uruguay has been 
contributing to UN peacekeeping operations for years, 
regardless of the changes in government and that Uruguay 
ranks among the top contributing countries per capita. 
However, the UN's failure to pay Uruguay's peacekeepers has 
now become a sensitive domestic issue, because the families 
of the soldiers--in some cases their widows--have openly 
complained in the domestic press that they have not received 
payments for up to a full year.  As a result, the Ministry of 
Defense has had to borrow money to make up for delayed UN 
funds.  This extra-budgetary cost is becoming an increasing 
burden on the government's budget.  Despite the systematic 
delay in payments, Garcia said Uruguay is still committed to 
UN peacekeeping missions. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Garcia said he met with U/SG for Peacekeeping 
Operations Alain LeRoy and U/SG for Field Support Susana 
Malcorra as well as with Japan's PR Yukio Takasu to raise 
this issue.  According to Garcia, Malcorra responded that 
there is simply no money to pay the peacekeepers and that 
some missions, particularly MINUSTAH, are consistently in the 
red.  Ambassador Wolff remarked that USUN speaks often with 
the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and that this issue 
has never been raised.  Garcia did not mention LeRoy or 
Malcorra by name, but he said UN officials blame the major 
budget-contributing countries for their failure to pay their 
UN dues on time, which consequently affects the UN's ability 
to pay the troop-contributing countries.  Garcia said this 
issue needs to be settled soon for future planning of 
missions. Ambassador Wolff said we would look into the matter 
with the appropriate UN officials. 
RICE