Japan looking to cut its UN bill

TOKYO: Japan will demand a reduction in its UN bill after the apparent failure of its bid to win a permanent Security Council seat, a Japanese newspaper reported Sunday.

Japan, the second largest UN donor, has been jointly lobbying for permanent council membership with Brazil, Germany and India, but the group has failed to win enough international support ahead of the UN summit starting Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura will deliver a speech at the summit in New York asking for Tokyo to contribute less, Japan’s top-selling daily Yomiuri Shimbun said, quoting government sources.

“The speech will effectively be Japan’s demand to lower its contribution,” the paper said. Japan’s share stands at 19.47 percent, behind only the United States at 22 percent.

“In light of the lower likelihood that Japan will gain a seat, the government has judged that it will be unable to gain public support for the excessive financial burden it currently carries,” the report said. agencies

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