Brazil paid R$847 million in debt to international organizations in the first half of the year, the Ministries of Planning and Budget and Foreign Affairs announced this Wednesday (3). Of this total, R$325 million was the full payment of the country’s regular contribution to the United Nations.
According to both departments, this was the first time in the last ten years that Brazil paid its contribution to the United Nations (UN) in the first half of the year. Countries that pay contributions to the UN in the first 6 months of the year are part of the body’s roll of honour. The UN publicly thanked Brazil on 17 May.
“By honoring what it has done with international organizations, Brazil strengthens its performance on the world stage, reaffirms its commitment to multilateralism and strengthens regional integration”, the two ministries highlighted.
Last year, the country paid R$4.6 billion in financial commitments, honoring debts from previous years. Payments were distributed between regular contributions to international organizations, payment of quotas from multilateral banks and replenishment of funds operating in several countries.
In addition to the UN, the joint note mentioned payments to the following international organizations from January to June:
• Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP);
• World Health Organization (WHO);
• International Labor Organization (ILO);
• The World Trade Organization (WTO);
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco);
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO);
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA);
• Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (Flaxo), among other organizations.
According to the note, these international organizations work in priority areas of Brazilian foreign policy.
At the regional level, Brazil is up to date with the following organizations:
• Organization of American States (OAS);
• Latin American Integration Association (Aladi);
• Latin American Energy Organization (Olade);
• Latin American Center for Development Administration (Clad);
• Amazon Cooperative Contract Organization (ACTO);
• Mercosur Secretariat;
• Mercosul Social Institute;
• Secretariat of the Mercosur Permanent Court of Review.
Regarding commitments in the field of environment and climate change, the country paid off, in the first half of the year, contributions to:
• Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (Stockholm Convention);
• Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD);
• Convention on Mercury (Minamata Convention).