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1. Member countries shall contribute to defraying Union expenses according to the contribution class to which they belong. The structure of the contribution classes shall commence at one unit and rise in incremental one-unit steps to a level defined with reference to the most recent scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations. Member countries shall choose their contribution class on the basis of their economic capacity while considering the aforementioned scale of assessments. The member countries listed by the United Nations as the least developed countries shall pay half a contribution unit. Small island developing states with a population of less than 200,000 (as listed by the United Nations) shall pay one tenth of a contribution unit.
2. Notwithstanding the contribution classes listed in paragraph 1, any member country may elect to contribute a higher number of units, for a minimum term equivalent to the period between Congresses. The announcement of a change shall be made at the latest at Congress. At the end of the period between Congresses, the member country shall return automatically to its original number of contribution units unless it decides to maintain its contribution of a higher number of units. The payment of additional contributions will increase the expenditure accordingly.
3. Member countries shall choose their number of units upon their admission or accession to the Union, while considering the most recent scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations, in accordance with the procedure laid down in article 20.4 of the Constitution.
4. Member countries paying above the economic capacities assessed through reference to the scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations shall have the right to reduce their number of units by up to a maximum of two units per Congress cycle, provided that this does not result in a lower contribution than they would pay under the current scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations. The cost of any such reduction in the number of contribution units shall be borne by member countries in accordance with the procedures laid down in paragraph 8 below. Conversely, member countries paying at a level below their economic capacity, as assessed through reference to the scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations, shall be invited to increase their number of contribution units by at least two per Congress cycle until they have reached the level of the current scale of assessments referred to above. Those member countries that fail to do so shall not benefit from the reduced amount of the contribution unit as per the procedures laid down in paragraph 8 below.
5. Nevertheless, in exceptional circumstances such as natural disasters necessitating international aid programmes, the Council of Administration may authorize a temporary reduction in contribution class once between two Congresses when so requested by a member country if the said member establishes that it can no longer maintain its contribution at the class originally chosen.
6. The temporary reduction in contribution class in application of paragraph 5 may be authorized by the Council of Administration for a maximum period of two years or up to the next Congress, whichever is earlier. On expiry of the specified period, the country concerned shall automatically revert to its original contribution class.
7. Changes to a higher class shall not be subject to any restriction.
8. The International Bureau shall calculate the relevant baseline and reduced contribution unit amounts in accordance with the following parameters.
8.1. In the event of a gross reduction1)For the purposes of this paragraph, “gross reduction” shall refer to the aggregated reduction in the number of contribution units as decided by individual member countries. in the number of contribution units, any resulting increase in the baseline (i.e. non-reduced) and reduced contribution unit amounts shall be borne in solidarity by all member countries, in proportion to the existing baseline and reduced contribution unit amounts.
8.2. In the event of a gross increase2)For the purposes of this paragraph, “gross increase” shall refer to the aggregated increase in the number of contribution units as decided by individual member countries. in the number of contribution units and/or subsequent member country ineligibility to benefit from the reduced contribution unit amount, any further reduction in the amount of the reduced contribution unit shall solely benefit member countries paying at or above their economic capacity, and member countries paying at a level below their economic capacity and that increase their number of contribution units by at least two per Congress cycle.
9. The procedures outlined in paragraph 8 shall not apply to any changes in the amounts of the baseline and reduced contribution units resulting from: i) the exceptional circumstances described in paragraphs 5 and 6; or ii) any adjustments in the expenditure of the Union as decided by the Council of Administration. In these cases, the cost of any such changes shall be distributed in proportion to the existing baseline and reduced contribution unit amounts and borne in solidarity by all member countries.