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Updated May 14, 2019
United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding of U.N. Peacekeeping
The United States is the single largest financial contributor
Operations with the highest annual budgets are UNMISS
to U.N. peacekeeping activities. Congress authorizes and
(South Sudan), at $1.12 billion; MONUSCO (Democratic
appropriates U.S. contributions, and it has an ongoing
Republic of the Congo), at $1.11 billion; and MINUSMA
interest in ensuring such funding is used as efficiently and
(Mali), at $1.07 billion.
effectively as possible. The United States, as a permanent
member of the U.N. Security Council, plays a key role in
U.S. Policy
establishing, renewing, and funding U.N. peacekeeping
operations. For 2019, the United Nations assessed the
Background and Context: The Enacted U.S. Cap
United States share of U.N. peacekeeping operation budgets
In the early 1990s, the U.S. peacekeeping assessment was
at 27.89%; however, since 1994 Congress has capped the
over 30%, which many Members of Congress found too
U.S. payment at 25% due to concerns that the current
high. In 1994, Congress set a 25% cap on funding for all
assessment is too high. For FY2019, total enacted U.S.
fiscal years after 1995 (P.L. 103-236). Over the years, the
funding for U.N. peacekeeping is $1.6 billion.
gap between the actual U.S. assessment and the cap has led
to funding shortfalls. The State Department and Congress
U.N. Peacekeeping Funding
have often covered these shortfalls by raising the cap for
The United Nations currently operates 14 U.N.
limited periods and allowing for the application of U.N.
peacekeeping missions worldwide, with about 100,000
peacekeeping credits (excess U.N. funds from previous
military, police, and civilian personnel from more than 120
peacekeeping missions) to fund outstanding U.S. balances.
countries. The Security Council adopts a resolution to
For several years, these actions allowed the United States to
establish each operation and specifies how it will be funded.
pay its assessments to U.N. peacekeeping missions in full.
In most cases, it authorizes the U.N. General Assembly to
However, since FY2017 Congress has declined to raise the
create a separate assessed account for each operation to be
cap, and in mid-2017, the Trump Administration allowed
supported by member states contributions.
for the application of peacekeeping credits up to, but not
beyond, the 25% cap—leading to the accumulation of
The General Assembly adopts the scale of assessments for
additional U.S. arrears.
U.N. member contributions to peacekeeping operations
every three years. The peacekeeping scale is based on a
Key Accounts and Recent Funding Levels
modification of the regular budget scale, with the five
U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping
permanent council members assessed at a higher level than
operations are provided primarily through two accounts
for the regular budget. For example, the United States is
funded in annual State Department-Foreign Operations
assessed at 22% of the regular budget; however, its current
(SFOPS) appropriations acts:
peacekeeping assessment is 27.89%. Other top contributors
The Contributions for International Peacekeeping
include China, Japan, and Germany (see Table 1).
Activities (CIPA) account, which funds 12 of the 14
Table 1. Top Financial Contributors to U.N.
U.N. peacekeeping operations. (CIPA also funds the
Peacekeeping, 2019, by Assessment Rate
U.N. criminal tribunals and State Department mission
monitoring and evaluation activities.)
Country
Percent
Country
Percent
1. United States
2
7.
8
9
6. France
5.61
The Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) account, which
2. China
15.22
7. Italy
3.31
funds to most non-U.N. peacekeeping and regional
3. Japan
8.56
8. Russia
3.05
stability operations, funds assessed contributions to the
4. Germany
6.09
9. Canada
2.73
U.N. Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS).
5. United Kingdom
5.79
10. S. Korea
2.27
Rest of Membership, Total: 19.48
In addition to CIPA and PKO funding, the Contributions to
Source: U.N. document, A/73/350/Add.1, December 24, 2018.
International Organizations (CIO) account funds two
Note: Italics represent permanent Security Council members.
observer missions, UNTSO (Israel and the Palestinians) and
UNMOGIP (India and Pakistan), which are funded through
U.N. members voluntarily provide the military and police
U.S. contributions to the regular budget.
personnel for each U.N. mission. Peacekeepers are paid by
their own governments, which are reimbursed by the United
For FY2020, the President requested $1.13 billion for U.N.
Nations at a standard rate determined by the Assembly
peacekeeping, a 27% decrease from the enacted FY2019
(about $1,428 per soldier per month).The U.N.
CIPA level of $1.55 billion (see Table 2). In its request, the
peacekeeping financial year runs from July 1 to June 30; the
Administration highlighted its “commitment to seek
Assembly usually adopts resolutions to finance
reduced costs by reevaluating mandates, design and
peacekeeping missions in late June. The total approved
implementation” of peacekeeping missions and sharing the
budget for the current peacekeeping year is $7.02 billion.
funding burden “more fairly” with other U.N. members.
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link to page 2 United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding of U.N. Peacekeeping
Table 2. U.S. Contributions: CIPA and PKO accounts
U.N. assessment prior to 2001, while others are the result of
(in thousands of U.S. dol ars)
congressional policy holds. The State Department has no
plans to repay these arrears.) In addition, the United States
FY20
accumulated a combined $521 million in additional cap-
FY17
FY18
FY19
Req.
related arrears in FY2017 and FY2018. For FY2019, the
department estimates that cap-related arrears will total
CIPA
1,907,564
1,382,080
1,551,000
1,136,000
$260.9 million. Some U.S. policymakers disagree about the
PKO-
165,266
101,070
101,074
—a
status of peacekeeping arrears and argue that they should be
UNSOS
paid, while others do not recognize them as U.S. arrears and
claim the United States is under no obligation to pay them.
Total
2,072,830
1,483,150
1,652,074
1,136,906
Some have also raised concerns about the impact of arrears
Source: Annual SFOPS appropriations bil s, State Department
on the effectiveness of U.N. peacekeeping operations.
congressional budget justifications and notifications.
Notes: CIPA funding levels are enacted; UNSOS funding levels are
Sexual Abuse & Exploitation by U.N. Peacekeepers
based on actual funding levels. The executive branch general y
Congress has sought to link U.S. peacekeeping funding to
requests UNSOS funding through CIPA; however, Congress usual y
the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by U.N.
funds UNSOS through PKO.
peacekeepers and other personnel. Since FY2008, annual
a.
SFOPS acts have prohibited the obligation of U.N.
The FY2020 CIPA request includes $75.9 mil ion for UNSOS
peacekeeping funds unless the Secretary of State certifies
that the United Nations is implementing effective policies
U.S. peacekeeping funding may fluctuate year-to-year
and procedures to prevent U.N. employees and
depending on a number of factors, including discrepancies
peacekeeping troops from human trafficking or acts of
between the aforementioned peacekeeping assessment and
illegal exploitation or other violations of human rights.
the enacted U.S. cap, changes to the scale of assessments,
Since FY2017, SFOPS bills have also prohibited assistance
timing of U.N. billing processes, application of
to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country if
peacekeeping credits, and changes to individual operations.
there is credible information that such unit has engaged in
Selected Policy Issues
SEA until the Secretary certifies the government of the
country is taking steps to hold the unit accountable. In
Funding and Growth of U.N. Peacekeeping
addition, the Department of State Authorities Act, FY2017
(P.L. 114-323), requires the State Department to report to
Associated with debates over the level and extent of U.S.
Congress on U.N. efforts to hold perpetrators accountable
peacekeeping funding is the broader issue of the changing
for sexual abuse prior to a vote renewing or establishing a
nature of U.N. peacekeeping. The concept of peacekeeping
peacekeeping mission.
has evolved since the first mission was established in 1948.
“Traditional” peacekeeping involves implementing cease-
U.N. Peacekeeping Financial Situation
fire or peace agreements; however, in recent years, the
Some experts and observers have expressed concern
Security Council has increasingly authorized operations in
regarding the financial status of U.N. peacekeeping
complex and insecure environments where there is little
operations. In a March 2019 report to the General Assembly
peace to keep and no clear resolution or outcome.
(A/73/809), U.N. Secretary-General (SG) António Guterres
Peacekeepers may be required to protect civilians, disarm
noted an increase in the number of peacekeeping missions
violent groups, monitor human rights violations, or assist in
that are frequently cash constrained. Causes include
delivering humanitarian aid. Such activities can place
member state payment patterns and arrears, and “structural
additional financial demands on U.N. members. Some
weaknesses” in peacekeeping budget methodologies,
experts argue that current peacekeeping funding levels
including inefficient payment schedules and borrowing and
cannot effectively support the increasingly broad mandates
funding restrictions. According to the SG, these issues have
authorized by the Security Council.
led to some cash shortages, delays in reimbursements to
The United States and Peacekeeping Arrears
some troop contributing countries, and increased risks to
“not only the functioning of its [U.N.] peacekeeping
In the mid-1990s, the United States accumulated significant
operations but also the people who serve in difficult
arrears to U.N. peacekeeping operations accounts and the
environments.” The SG’s proposed recommendations
U.N. regular budget. Many U.S. policymakers were
include combining separate peacekeeping operation budgets
concerned that the United States could lose its vote in the
into one pool to allow cash loans across active missions,
Assembly unless it made substantial payments on its
changing the way assessments are billed to member states,
outstanding dues. In 1999, Congress and the Administration
negotiated what is known as the “Helms
and establishing a working capital fund to provide a
-Biden
Agreement,” which established condition
liquidity reserve for active missions. Member states,
s under which
including the United States, are currently considering these
some U.S. arrears, including peacekeeping arrears, were
proposals.
paid. Since the enactment of Helms-Biden, some U.S.
arrears remain. The State Department reports that as of
April 2019, U.S. arrears for both open and closed
Luisa Blanchfield, Specialist in International Relations
peacekeeping operations total about $328 million. (Most of
IF10597
these are from the gap between the 25% U.S. cap and the
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United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding of U.N. Peacekeeping
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