The World : Latin States Owe U.N. Dues

Twenty-one of the 33 Latin American members of the United Nations have failed to pay their dues this year, including Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar’s native Peru, a tabulation showed. Under U.N. rules, a nation owing the equivalent of two years’ assessed contributions to the regular budget may not vote in the General Assembly, which is due to meet April 28 to consider the world body’s financial crisis. Perez de Cuellar said the organization faces a shortfall of $100 million in a budget of about $880 million and warned that some programs may have to be cut.