Just 31, including Malta, out of the 192-member States of the UN, have so far settled their 2007 financial commitment to the organisation, an official UN source indicated last Monday.

Malta has paid its $340,128 dues, a UN source said.

“As of the end of January, a total of 31 member States have paid in full their assessments to the UN regular budget for 2007,” the source told the Pan-African News Agency in New York.

Apart from Malta, the source listed these countries as Azerbaijan ($100,037), Bolivia ($120,045), Burkina Faso ($40,015), Suriname, Zambia and Burundi ($20,008 each), Finland ($11.284m), South Africa ($5.802m) and Norway ($15.645m).

Others are Luxembourg ($1.700m), Denmark ($14.785m), Thailand ($3.721m), Singapore ($6.942m), Australia ($35.753m), Sweden ($21.428m), New Zealand ($5.121m) and Ukraine ($900,339).

Also on the list are Liechtenstein ($200,076), Canada ($59.562m), Georgia ($60,023), Belarus ($400,150), Russian Federation ($24.009m), Ireland ($8.903m), Monaco ($60,023) and Brunei Darussalam ($520,196).

Maldives with $20,008, Botswana ($280,105), Austria ($17.746m), The Netherlands ($37.474m), and Switzerland ($24.329m) have also paid their current dues.

“Inclusive of the current assessments, approximately $5.8 billion is outstanding as at the end of January. Of this, $2.1 billion is for the regular budget, while $3.3 billion is for peacekeeping operations,” the source explained.