(Archived document, may contain errors)

April 12,1995

MOST AID RECIPIENTS VOTE AGAINST U.S. AT U.N.

Bryan T. Johnson Policy Analyst The Clinton Administration argues that a robust foreign aid program serves the national interests of the United States. For example, J. Brian Atwood, the Director of the Agency for International De- velopment (AID), defended his foreign aid program by insisting that: our Iforeign] aid program has obviously served American national in- terests, and along with our military power it has been an expression of responsible American leadership.'

While some foreign aid programs serve U.S. national interests, many of them do not. Even a cur- sory examinination of the facts demonstrates that foreign aid often does not command the respect of U.S. aid recipients for American interests and values. Those interests are broadly defined in an an- nual State Department report entitled Voting Practices in the United Nations. The report states: "The Security Council and the General Assembly are arguably the most important international bodies in the world, dealing as they do with such vital issues as threats to peace and security, disarmament, de- velopment, humanitarian relief, human rights, the environment and narcotics-all of which can and do directly affect major U.S. interests."2 The report thus makes a direct connection between Ameri- can interests and issues considered each year by the United Nations. If such a direct connection between U.S. interests and U.N. actions exists, as supporters of high levels of foreign aid contend, U.S foreign aid recipients should be voting with the U.S. in the U.N. most of the time. However, this is not the case. On the contrary, the available data suggest that most recipients of U.S. foreign aid vote against the U.S. in the United Nations most of the time. Consider the following facts derived from the 1994 U.N. session: V Some 74 percent of U.S. foreign aid recipients voting in the 1994 U.N. session did so against the U.S. a majority of the time. V India, which will receive over $155 million in foreign aid this year, voted against the U.S. 84 percent of the time. That is as often as Cuba. 9YI#55195

1 Remarks by J. Brian Atwood to the Center for National Policy. Washington, D.C., December 14, 1994. 2 Voting Practices in the United Nations 1992 (Washington, D.C.: United States Department of State. 1993). p. 9- 10.

Russia, as part of the Soviet Un- ion, confronted the U.S. on Top Ten Countries Voting Against The U.S. nearly every issue during the at the U.N. and Total U.S. Foreign Aid for FY 1995 Cold War. Indeed, some of the great superpower clashes of the U.N. Votes Against Cold War occurred at the U.N. U.S. in 1994 FY 1995 Aid But Russia last year voted 1. India 84% $155,479,000 against the U.S. only 33 percent 2. Laos 80% $2,000,000 3. China (PRC) 77% $771,000 of the time. Of the 113 countries 4.Lebanon 71% $9,195,000 that are foreign aid recipients S. Burundi 70% $15,772,000 and also members of the U.N., 6*'-Sri Lanka 70% $35,872,000 95 of them voted against the 7. Zimbabwe 70% $31,729,000 8. Algeria 69% $75,000 U.S. more times than Russia. 9. Angola 69% $5,000,000 V The top ten countries that 10. Ghana 69% $56,587,000 voted against the U.S. the most will receive nearly $313 million Top Ten Largest Recipients of U.S. Foreign Aid in foreign aid in fiscal year and their U.N. Voting Record 1995 (see top chart). FY 1995 Aid U.N. Votes Against All but one of America's top U.S. in 1994 ten largest recipients of for- 1. Israel $3,003,600,000 5% eign aid (Israel) voted against 2.Egypt $2,121,729,000 65% 3. India $155,479,000 84% the U.S. a majority of the time 4.Peru $15'0,516,000 55% in the 1994 session of the U.N. 5. Bolivia $134,178,000 56% (see middle chart). 6. Bangladesh $ 112,679,000 64% 7. Ethiopia $92,148,000 61% of Egypt voted against the U.S. 65 8. Haiti $88,813,000 57% percent of the time in 1994. It 9. South Africa $82,453,000 58% will be rewarded with over $2 10. Philippines $74,004,000 61% billion in aid in fiscal 1995. V Peru voted against the U.S. 55 Top Ten Countries Voting With the U.S. at the U.N. percent of the time in 1994. Yet Peru will receive over $150 mil- U.N. Votes Against FY 1995 Aid lion in U.S. aid in fiscal 1995. U.S. in 1994 1. Israel 5% $3,003,600,000 Of the ten countries that 2. Georgia 19% $75,000 voted with the U.S. the most, 3. Slovak Republic 20961 $1,589,000 nine are former Soviet bloc 4. Hungary 20% $3,420,000 countries (see bottom chart). 5. Czech Republic 21% $1,954,000 6. Poland 22% $4,068,000 Thus,while there are many reasons 7. Bulgaria 220/6 $1,682,000 why a country may vote with or 8. Albania 22% $1,249,000 against the U.S. at the U.N., clearly 9. Moldova 23% $1,011,000 the amount of aid they receive from 10. Slovenia 24% $125,000 .1 the U.S. is not one of them. If the vot- ing record of an aid recipient at the U.N. is any record of whether countries are serving U.S. interests -and champions of foreign aid must conclude that it is-then the U.S. is not getting its money's worth. These voting records demonstrate that an overwhelming majority of the recipients of U.S. foreign aid fail to support U.S. interests abroad. In fact, the data show that some of these countries actually undermine U.S. policies abroad. This information begs the question: Why is the U.S. spending so much money on countries who care little about America's interests abroad? When foreign aid is scrutinized as a target for cutting the federal budget, Congress would do well to look further into these numbers. Not only has foreign aid failed at its primary mission of promotin economic devel- opment, it often has failed too, at supporting America's national interests abroad.

3 For a full discussion on the poor record of foreign aid in economic development, see Bryan Johnson and Thomas P. Sheehy, The Index of Ecottomic Freedom (Washington, D.C.: The Heritage Foundation: 1995). Recipients of U.S. Foreign Aid and Their Percentage of Votes Against U.S.-Supported Issues in the United Nations (listed by percentage of votes cast against U.S.)

Country FY'95 U.S. Aid' U.N. vote '94' India $155,479,000 84% Laos 2,000,000 80 China, People's Rep. of 771,000 77 Lebanon 9,195,000 71 Burundi 15,772,000 70 SriLanka 35,872,000 70 Zimbabwe 31,729,000 70 Algeria 75,000 69 Angola 5,000,000 69 Ghana 56,587,000 69 Indonesia 67,601,000 68 Pakistan 2,500,000 68 Mexico 19,710,000 67 Mozambique 54,250,000 67 Yemen 12,356,000 67 Congo 3,651,000 66 Burkina Faso 12,737,000 65 Colombia 46,096,000 65 Egypt 2,121,729,000 65 Jordan 24,545,000 65 Mali 42,842,000 65 Uganda 45,725,000 65 Bangladesh 112,679,000 64 Namibia 15,562,000 64 Seychelles 651,000 64 Malaysia 500,000 63 Ecuador 18,512,000 62 Nigeria 32,337,000 62 Oman 1,305,000 62 Thailand 5,847,000 62

Total foreign assistance, FY 1995 budget request. From Congressional Presentation: Summary Tables, Fiscal Year 1995 (Washington, D.C.: Agency for International Development, 1994.) This number includes only bilateral assistance and omits foreign aid given through indirect sources like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and U.S. "regional" aid. For example, nearly 97% of U.S. foreign aid for Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States (former Soviet Union) comes in the form of regional assistance. 2Source: Voting Practices in the United Nations 1994, Report submitted to Congress pursuant to Public Law 10 1 - 167, by the United States Department of State, Washington, D.C., March 31, 1995. The percentage numbers are based only on votes where a recorded "yes" or "no" occurred. They omit abstentions and other "non-votes." The percentage "voting against" numbers in this table are based on percentage votes in favor of all resolutions voted on by the U.S. in each given year. All percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number. Togo 7,451,000 62 Tunisia 3,460,000 62 Venezuela 750,000 62 Brazil 12,785,000 61 Cameroon 6,278,000 61 Ethiopia 92,148,000 61 Kenya 38,458,000 61 Lesotho 7,952,000 61 Philippines 74,004,000 61 Zambia 43,990,000 61 Botswana 6,733,000 60 Cape Verde 7,444,000 60 Cyprus 15,000,000 60 Mauritania 3,338,000 60 Nepal 30,073,000 60 Niger 24,535,000 60 Papua New Guinea 2,336,000 59 Singapore 20,000 59 Benin 20,578,000 58 Central African Republic 5,861,000 58 Djibouti 480,000 58 Guyana 9,232,000 58 Madagascar 35,707,000 58 Malawi 42,347,000 58 Mongolia 11,091,000 58 South Africa 82,453,000 58 Guinea 27,116,000 57 Haiti 88,813,000 57 lamaica 17,748,000 57 Mauritius 247,000 57 Bahrain 75,000 56 Belize 3,942,000 56 Bolivia 134,178,000 56 Panama 8,007,000 56 Surinam 50,000 56 Comoros 1,528,000 55 Guatemala 42,588,000 55 Honduras 39,141,000 55 Ivory Coast 10,640,000 55 Paraguay 6,945,000 55 Peru 150,516,000 55 Gambia 12,814,000 54 Chile 5,550,000 54 Gabon 3,794,0001 54 Maldives 50,000 54 Senegal 35,421,000 54 Sierra Leone 4,896,000 54 Bahamas 700,000 53 El Salvador 69,119,000 53 Morocco 26,510,000 53 Uruguay 1,620,000 53 Nicaragua 56,623,000 52 Cambodia 27,594,000 51 Kyrgyzstan 1,029,000 51 Costa Rica 8,254,000 50 Fiji 1,786,000 50 Swaziland 8,500,000 50 Uzbekistan 1,458,000 47 Turkmenistan 1,155,000 45 Korea, Republic of 10,000 4 Armenia 1,356,000 43 Belarus 100,000 43 Solomon Islands 1,228,000 43 Kazakhstan 1,819,000 40 Rwanda 19,988,000 40 Ukraine 2,230,000 37 Marshall Islands 795,000 35 Russia 3,530,000 33 Argentina 965,000 32 Micronesia 2,035,000 31 Eritrea 8,627,000 30 Malta 150,000 30 Greece 50,000 29 Estonia 200,000 25 Romania 1,915,000 24 Slovenia 125,000 24 Moldova 1,011,000 23 Albania 1,249,000 22 Bulgaria 1,682,000 22 Poland 4,068,000 22 Czech Republic 1,954,000 21 Hungary 3,420,000 20 Slovak Re ublic 1,589,000 20 Georgia 75,000 19 Israel 3,003,600,000 5 Recipients of U.S. Foreign Aid and Their Percentage of Votes Against U.S. Supported Issues in the United Nations (listed by level of foreign assistance)

Country FY'95 U.S. Aid U.N. vote '94 Israel $3,003,600,000 5% Egypt 2,121,729,000 .65 India 155.479,000 84 Peru 150,516,000 55 Bolivia 134,178,000 56 Bangladesh 112,679,000 64 Ethiopia 92,148,000 61 Haiti 88,813,000 57 South Africa 82,453,000 58 Philippines 74,004,000 61 El Salvador 69,119,000 53 Indonesia 67,601,000 68 Nicaragua 56,623,000 52 Ghana 56,587,000 69 Mozambique 54,250,000 67 Colombia 46,096,000 65 UEnda 45,725,000 65 Zambia 43,990,000 61 Mali 42,842,000 65 Guatemala 42,588,000 55 Malawi 42,347,000 58 Honduras 39,141,000 55 Kenya 38,458,000 61 Sril-anka 35,872,000 70 Madagascar 35,707,000 58 Senegal 35,421,000 54 Nigeria 32,337,000 62 Zimbabwe 31,729,000 70 Nepal 30,073,000 60 Cambodia 27,594,000 51 Guinea 27,116,000 57 Morocco 26,510,000 53 lordan 24,545,000 65 Niger 24,535,000 60 Benin 20,578,000 58 Rwanda 19,988,000 40 Mexico 19,710,000 67 IlEcuador 18,512,000 1 62 Jamaica 17,748,000 57 Burundi 15,772,000 70 Namibia 15,562,000 64 Cyprus 15,000,000 60 Gambia 12,814,000 54 Brazil 12,785,000 61 Burkina Faso 12,737,000 65 Yemen 12,356,000 67 Mongolia 11,091,000 58 Ivory Coast 10,640,000 55 Guyana 9,232,000 58 Lebanon 9,195,000 71 Eritrea 8,627,000 30 Swaziland 8,500,000 50 Costa Rica 8,254,000 50 Panama 8,007,000 56 Lesotho 7,952,000 61 Togo 7,451,000 62 Cape Verde 7,444,000 60 Paraguay 6,945,000 55 Botswana 6,733,000 60 Cameroon 6,278,000 61 Central African Republic 5,861,000 58 Thailand 5,847,000 62 Chile 5,550,000 54 Angola 5,000,000 69 Sierra Leone 4,896,000 54 Poland 4,068,000 22 Belize 3,942,000 56 Gabon 3,794,000 54 Congo 3,651,000 66 Russia 3,530,000 33 Tunisia 3,460,000 62 Hungary 3,420,000 20 Mauritania 3,338,000 60 Pakistan 2,500,000 68 Papua New Guinea 2,336,000 59 Ukraine 2,230,000 37 Micronesia 2,035,000 31 Laos 2,000,000. 80 Czech Republic 1,954,000 21 Romania 1,915,000 24 Kazakhstan 1,819,000 L--40 1 Fiji 1,786,0001 50 Bulgaria 1,682,000 22 Uruguay 1,620,000 53 Slovak Republic 1,589,000 20 Comoros 1,528,000 55 Uzbekistan 1,458,000 47 Armenia 1,356,000 43 Oman 1,305,000 62 Albania 1.249,000 22 Solomon Islands 1,228,000 43 Turkmenistan 1,155,000 45 Kyrgyzstan 1,029,000 51 Moldova 1,011,000 23 Argentina 965,000 32 Marshall Islands 795,000 35 China, People's Rep. of 771,000 77 Venezuela 750,000 62 Bahamas 700,000 53 Seychelles 651,000 64 Malaysia 500,000 63 Djibouti 480,000 58 Mauritius 247,000 57 Estonia 200,000 25 Malta 150,000 30 Slovenia 125,000 24 Belarus 100,000 43 Algeria 75,000 69 Bahrain 75,000 56 Georgia 75,000 19 Greece 50,000 29 Maldives 50,000 54 Surinam 50,000 56 Singapore 20,0001 59 Korea, Republic of 10,0001 44