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Updated April 9, 2019
United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System
The United States is the single largest financial contributor
the scale of assessment for the U.N. regular budget, while
to the United Nations (U.N.) system. Congress has long
others use their own formulas to determine assessments.
debated the appropriate level of U.S. contributions to U.N.
U.N. peacekeeping funding. There are currently 14 U.N.
system activities and whether U.S. funds are being used
peacekeeping missions worldwide with over 88,000
efficiently and effectively. Since 2017, the Trump
military, police, and civilian personnel. U.N. Security
Administration has proposed significant overall decreases
Council resolutions establishing new operations specify
in U.S. funding to the United Nations; however, Congress
how each mission will be funded. In most cases, the council
has generally funded U.N. entities at higher levels than the
authorizes the General Assembly to create a separate
Administration has requested. Compared to FY2019
special account for each operation funded by assessed
funding levels, the President’s FY2020 budget proposed
contributions. The approved budget for the 2018/2019
reducing U.N. peacekeeping funding by 27%, decreasing
peacekeeping fiscal year is $7.02 billion. The Assembly
U.N. regular budget and specialized agency funding by
adopts the peacekeeping scale of assessments every three
25%, and eliminating funding to some U.N. funds and
years based on modifications of the regular budget scale,
programs.
with the five permanent council members assessed at a
U.N. System Funding
higher level than for the regular budget. The current U.S.
peacekeeping assessment (adopted in December 2018) is
The U.N. system is made up of interconnected entities
27.89%.
including specialized agencies, funds and programs,
peacekeeping operations, and the U.N. organization itself.
U.S. Funding
The U.N. Charter, ratified by the United States in 1945,
Congress has generally authorized funding to the U.N.
requires each member state to contribute to the expenses of
system as part of Foreign Relations Authorization Acts;
the organization. The system is financed by assessed and
appropriations are provided to the Department of State and
voluntary contributions from U.N. members. Assessed
U.S. Agency for International Development to meet
contributions are required dues, the payment of which is a
obligations. When authorization bills are not enacted,
legal obligation accepted by a country when it becomes a
Congress has waived the authorization requirements and
member. Such funding provides U.N. entities with a regular
appropriated funds through accounts in annual Department
source of income to pay for staff and implement core
of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
programs. The U.N. regular budget, specialized agencies,
(SFOPS) appropriations bills.
and peacekeeping operations and are financed mainly by
assessed contributions. Voluntary contributions fund special
The Administration’s FY2020 budget proposed significant
funds, programs, and offices. The budgets for these entities
decreases in funding to accounts supporting the United
may fluctuate annually depending on contribution levels.
Nations (see Table 1). The Contributions to International
Organizations (CIO) account, which funds assessed
U.N. regular budget and U.N. specialized agencies. The
contributions to the U.N. regular budget, specialized
U.N. regular budget funds the core administrative costs of
agencies, and other international organizations, would be
the organization, including the General Assembly, Security
reduced by 25%, from $1.36 billion in FY2019 to $1.01
Council, Secretariat, International Court of Justice, special
billion in FY2020. Of the FY2020 request, $785.38 million
political missions, and human rights entities. The regular
is designated for U.N. entities. (FY2019 funding for U.N.
budget is adopted by the U.N. General Assembly to cover a
entities is still being finalized.) The request prioritizes
two-year period. Since the late 1980s, most Assembly
funding for organizations whose missions “substantially
decisions related to the budget have been adopted by
advance U.S. foreign policy interests” and reduces funding
consensus. When budget votes occur (which is rare)
for those whose “results are unclear” and “work does not
decisions are made by a two-thirds majority of members
directly affect our [U.S.] national security interests.”
present and voting, with each country having one vote. The
approved regular budget for 2018-2019 is $5.8 billion, or
The Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities
$2.9 billion a year. The General Assembly negotiates a
(CIPA) account, which funds U.S.-assessed contributions to
scale of assessments for the regular budget every three
most U.N. peacekeeping operations, would be reduced by
years based on a country’s capacity to pay; assessments for
27%—from $1.55 billion in FY2019 to $1.13 billion in
the 2019-2021 time period were adopted in December
FY2020. The request states the Administration’s
2018. The U.S. assessment is currently 22%, the highest of
“commitment to seek reduced costs by reevaluating the
any U.N. member state. The U.S. rate is set by a ceiling that
mandates, design, and implementation” of missions, and
was agreed to in the General Assembly in 2000.
sharing the burden “more fairly” among U.N. members.
U.N. specialized agencies are autonomous in executive,
The International Organizations and Programs (IO&P)
legislative, and budgetary powers. Some agencies follow
account, which received $364 million in FY2019 (including
$319.7 million for U.N. entities), funds U.S. voluntary
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link to page 2 United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System
contributions to many U.N. funds and programs, including
Executive branch role. The executive branch has
UNICEF and UN Women. For FY2020, the Administration
significant leeway to determine the use of funds for certain
proposed eliminating the account; a similar proposal was
accounts without congressional consultation. Some
included in the FY2018/FY2019 budget requests.
policymakers are concerned that the Administration may
not allocate funding to U.N. entities as Congress intended.
Table 1. Selected U.S. Contributions, by Account
Appearing to reference this issue, the explanatory statement
(Thousands of $ U.S. Dollars)
to the FY2019 SFOPS bill included language that “assumes
the payment of the full [U.S.] assessment at each respective
organization” for CIO. It also stated that IO&P funds
FY17 Act.
FY18 Act.
FY19 En.
FY20 Req.
“shall be made available for core contributions for each
CIO
1,359,206 1,467,408 1,360,270 1,013,693
entity.” This represents the first time such language was
of which U.N.
1,056,431 1,089,985 N/A
785,386
included in SFOPS explanatory statements. Some of these
concerns stemmed from the Administration’s 2018
CIPA
1,907,564 1,382,080 1,551,000 1,136,000
decisions to no longer fund the U.N. Relief Works
PKO/UNSOSa 165,266
101,070
N/A
N/A
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
IO&P
339,000
339,000
364,000
0
(UNRWA) (funded through the global humanitarian
accounts) and to withhold contributions to the U.N.
of which U.N.
295,275
296,275
319,750
0
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Sources: Annual, congressional budget justifications and SFOPS
(funded through CIO). To further address this issue, some
appropriations legislation and explanatory statements.
have suggested that Congress legislate annual funding
Note: N/A = not available.
levels for specific U.N. entities.
a. Administrations general y request U.N. Support Office in
Somalia (UNSOS) funds through CIPA; however, Congress
U.S. peacekeeping assessment cap. In 1995, due to
funds UNSOS through the Peacekeeping Operations account
concerns that the U.S. peacekeeping assessment level was
(PKO), which funds non-U.N. peacekeeping missions.
too high (over 30%), Congress set a limit of 25% on the
funds authorized after FY1995. Between FY2001 and
In addition to the aforementioned funding, the United States
FY2016, Congress enacted legislation to raise the cap
provides voluntary contributions to U.N. entities through
temporarily so that U.S. contributions were closer to U.N.
other SFOPS accounts. For example, it contributed $5.6
assessment levels. Congress did not enact a cap adjustment
billion to U.N. humanitarian-related activities through the
for FY2017 through FY2019, and it returned to 25%. As a
global humanitarian accounts in FY2017, including
result, that the United States accumulated $521 million in
Migration and Refugee Assistance, International Disaster
cap-related arrears from FY20017 to FY2018.
Assistance, and Food for Peace, Title II (P.L. 480).
Tracking U.S. funding. U.S. funding to the United Nations
(Comprehensive FY2018 funding allocations are not yet
is complex and often difficult to track in a timely and
available.) Congress generally appropriates overall funding
accurate manner. Challenges include changes in U.S.
to each of these accounts, while the executive branch
assessment and exchange rates, U.N. budget adjustments,
determines how funds are allocated based on foreign policy
deferred U.S. payments, and differences between the U.S.
priorities and humanitarian needs. Entities that received the
and U.N. fiscal years. Consequently, U.S. payments are
bulk of this funding in FY2017 included the U.N. High
often behind and reported U.S. and U.N. funding levels
Commissioner for Refugees ($1.4 billion) and the World
may not match. Recognizing these issues, Congress has
Food Program ($2.6 billion). Voluntary U.N. funding is
enacted U.N. funding reporting requirements, including the
also provided through accounts addressing health, security,
State Department’s annual Contributions to International
and development, such as Economic Support Fund and
Organizations report, which was expanded in FY2016.
Global Health Programs. U.N. funding from these accounts
in FY2017 totaled about $1 billion, including $239 million
U.S. funding and U.N. reform. Over the years, Congress
for the WHO, $229 million for UNICEF, and $94 million
has enacted legislation linking U.S. funding to specific U.N.
for the International Atomic Energy Agency.
reform benchmarks or U.N. activities. For example, since
the 1980s the United States has withheld funding for
Selected Policy Issues
activities related to the Palestinians. In addition,
U.N. regular budget scale of assessments. Over the years,
appropriations bill since FY2014 have linked U.S. funding
U.S. policymakers have expressed concern that current
to U.N. efforts to enhance whistleblower protection and
regular budget assessments levels result in the United States
audit transparency. Some Members have opposed such
providing the bulk of funding while having minimal
actions due to concerns that they may interfere with U.S.
influence on the budget process. Some have called for
influence and ability to conduct diplomacy in U.N. fora.
increased transparency in the process for determining the
Others maintain that the United States should use its
scale of assessments. On the other hand, some contend that
position as the largest financial contributor to push for
the current assessment level is roughly equivalent to the
reform, in some cases by withholding funding.
U.S. share of world gross national income. They argue it
reflects the U.S. commitment to the United Nations, affirms
Luisa Blanchfield,
U.S. global leadership, leverages contributions from other
IF10354
countries, and helps the United States achieve its goals in
U.N. fora.
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United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System
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