Action point – Amendment to article 8 ICERD Until 1993, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) was funded by voluntary contributions from States Parties in accordance with article 8, para. 6 of the Convention. Since 1993, the Committee has been funded under the United Nations Budget in accordance with General Assembly Resolution 47/111 pending entry into force of an amendment to article 8 to the same effect. However, certain States Parties still remain in arrears on payments covering the period before 1993 to a total amount, as of June 2012, of 121,216.13. The Secretary-General is required to report to the General Assembly biennially on these arrears in a report which costs in the region of 15,000 US dollars to produce. States parties are strongly encouraged to contact the Contributions Service of the Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts in order to verify whether they owe outstanding payments and to arrange payment of arrears. States parties are also strongly encouraged to ratify the amendment to Article 8 of the Convention in accordance with their decision at the Fourteenth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention in January 1992. As of June 2012, only 43 States Parties have ratified the amendment which requires ratification by twothirds of the 175 States parties in order to enter into force. 28