Normally if a member of a club doesn't pay their fees the owner would take back their membership and not let them in. In the United Nations this is not the case, because politics come into play. It's hard to imagine the UN operating without the United States. As one of the richest countries in the world they also pay the most to the UN and are the most powerful country.

But, being in debt is still being in debt no matter who you are, and there is a lot of international pressure for the U.S. to pay up.

The United States Congress has recently come up with a controversial plan. Over the next three years the U.S. will pay $819 million dollars--with a string of conditions attached. Downsizing the UN and not allowing the UN to have international conferences outside the United States, are just two of these new rules.

If President Clinton signs this agreement, it will be presented to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan. If he decides not to accept the offer, the U.S. says it will leave the UN.

So what do you think? Does the United States have the right to create restrictions and conditions on the UN for money it already owes? Is the threat to pull out of the UN real? Could the UN survive without the most "powerful" country in the world?

What would you do? If you were Sectertary-General of the U.N. would you accept the United States offer for repayment? Why or Why not? If you didn't accept the offer and the U.S. did leave the United Nations, as Secretary-General you would probably have to find a new home for the UN headquarters that are presently in New York? If you could pick up the UN headquarters and place it anywhere in the world, where would you chose? Be creative and remember this is a huge organization!