Budget wars may plunge 'dysfunctional' UN into crisis

In an acrimonious debate, rich nations who pay most of the United Nations budget warned poorer nations yesterday not to stand in the way of UN management reform, and hinted at a showdown that could plunge the world body into a cash crisis.

“They should realize we pay 82% of the budget and we’re not going to have this sort of imposition on us by the draconian tactics by the G-77 at the moment,” Britain’s Ambassador Emyr Jones-Parry said. “If they want to play with fire, they’re going to get their fingers burnt, that’s clear.”