The organization has adopted a 2-year assessment budget (calendar years 1955 and 1956) of $20 million, of which $9,491,420 is applicable to the calendar year 1955, amounting to approximately $30,000 more than the calendar year 1954. With the adherence of the U. S. S. R. and certain satellite states, the organization has also voted to reduce the United States percentage from 33.33 percent to 30 percent.

The decrease in requirements of $405,975 is attributable to (1) the reduction of the United States percentage by 3.33 percentage points, $316,064; (2) a working capital fund credit due to the reduction in the United States percentage, $99,900; (3) as offset by the United States share of the $29,971 increase in the assessment budget amounting to $9,989.

Statutory authorization

Public Law 565, 79th Congress (22 U. S. C. 287m).

The amount requested for the United States contribution to the budget of the organization is used to meet (a) the balance of the United States assessment for the calendar year 1955; and (b) one-half of the estimated United States assessment for the calendar year 1956.

The increase of $75,889 in the request for the fiscal year 1956 is due to (1) the fact that the calendar year 1956 assessment budget is estimated to be $215,000 higher than the calendar year 1955 because surplus funds from the organization's working capital fund are not expected to be available to reduce total assessments as was the case in the calendar year 1955; and (2) the United States percentage share was increased from 29.71 percent in 1954 to 32.60 percent in 1955. For purposes of this estimate, it is assumed that the gross budget for 1956 will remain the same as in 1955 (3,223,100 Canadian dollars), and the United States percentage share for 1956 will remain the same as in 1955 (32.60 percent).

The increase in the United States percentage from 29.71 percent in 1954 to 32.60 percent in 1955 resulted from the desire of a large number of member States to adjust the entire scale of assessments so as to bring members' shares more in line with relative capacity to pay and importance in civil aviation. The percentage shares of several leading countries in the field of civil aviation, besides the United States, were increased for the calendar year 1955.

Statutory authorization

The Convention on International Civil Aviation ratified by the United States pursuant to the consent of the Senate given on July 25, 1946 (61 Stat. 1180).

(2) United States participation in ICAO joint-support program:

Obligations:
1954.
1955.

1956

Increase

Computation of estimate

$656, 537

566, 880

608, 250

41, 370

The amount requested for the cost of United States participation in the ICAO joint-support program will be used to pay the United States share of the Faroe Islands and Greenland projects for the calendar year 1956 and the United States share of the Iceland projects for the period July 1, 1955-June 30, 1956.

The increase of $41,370 in the amount of the United States share of the expenses of the ICAO joint-support program is attributable to the fact that credits reducing the United States contribution are estimated to be approximately $48,000 less in the fiscal year 1956 than in the fiscal year 1955. This factor is offset in part by the fact that United States assessments before credits are estimated at $7,000 less in the fiscal year 1956 due to an anticipated decrease in the United States percentage share of North Atlantic civil air traffic during the period on which these estimates are based. The United States average percentage share of the five joint-support projects is estimated to be approximately 40.05 percent for the fiscal year 1956 as compared with 40.45 percent for the fiscal year 1955. Statutory authorization

Articles 69, 70, and 73 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, ratified by the United States on August 6, 1946.

The gross budget for the calendar year 1955 approved by the Seventh World Health Assembly in May 1954 amounts to $10,999,360. This figure is offset by estimated miscellaneous income of $313,264 and certain carryoyer items amounting to $636,736, resulting in a total assessment budget of $10,049,360. This is $1,086,360 more than the total assessment budget for calendar year 1954. The increase is due primarily to (1) decisions of the Health Assembly enlarging the Organization's field work program, (2) the costs of meeting in-grade salary increments under the WHO staff regulations, (3) increased expense in making Spanish a full working language, (4) establishment of a special $100,000 emergency reserve fund, and (5) strengthening the regional office for Africa. The United States percentage share remains the same as the previous year, 33% percent, resulting in an assessment to the United States of $3,349,790, an increase of $362,123 over the previous year.

Since the act of Congress which authorizes United States participation in the Organization limits the amount that may be appropriated annually for the purposes of a United States contribution to $3 million only that amount is requested. This will leave the United States $349,790 in arrears. The Department's legislative program includes a proposal to increase the amount of the annual authorization.

Statutory authorization

Public Law 643, 80th Congress (22 U. S. C. 290), as amended by Public Law 806, 81st Congress (22 U. S. C. 262a).

The calendar year 1956 budget of the Organization will not be known until the biennial conference convenes late in 1955. However, for purposes of this submission, it is estimated that the budget of the Organization will be $6 million and the United States percentage share 30 percent, the same as for the calendar year 1955. The decrease in the request for the fiscal year 1956 is attributable to the fact that due to the split-year budgeting for this Organization, the fiscal year 1955 appropriation bore a larger part of the calendar years 1954 and 1955 assessments than the fiscal years 1954 and 1956, respectively. This situation more than offsets increases attributable to the fact that an unexpectedly large working capital fund credit of $239,376 is available against the United States calendar year 1955 assessment which is not anticipated for the calendar year 1956 and that a larger amount of miscellaneous income is available in 1955 than is anticipated for 1956.

Statutory authorization

Public Law 174, 79th Congress (22 U. S. C. 279) as amended by Public Law 806, 81st Congress.