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Updated August 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 $1.18 billion; MINUSMA (Mali), at
appropriates U.S. contributions, and it has an ongoing
$1.13 billion; and MONUSCO (Democratic Republic of the
interest in ensuring such funding is used as efficiently and
Congo), at $1.01 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 $1.65 billion.
gap between the actual U.S. assessment and the cap led to
funding shortfalls. The State Department and Congress
U.N. Peacekeeping Funding
often covered these shortfalls by raising the cap for limited
The United Nations currently operates 14 U.N.
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 the Contributions
for the regular budget. For example, the United States is
for International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account,
assessed at 22% of the regular budget; however, its current
which is funded through annual State Department-Foreign
peacekeeping assessment is 27.89%. Other top contributors
Operations (SFOPS) appropriations acts. CIPA funds 12 of
include China, Japan, and Germany (Table 1).
the 14 U.N. peacekeeping operations, as well as the U.N.
criminal tribunals and mission monitoring and evaluation
Table 1. Top Financial Contributors to U.N.
activities. The Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) account,
Peacekeeping, 2019, by Assessment Rate
which funds most non-U.N. peacekeeping and regional
Country
Percent
Country
Percent
stability operations, provides assessed contributions to the
1. United States
2
7.
8
9
6. France
5.61
U.N. Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS). In addition to
2. China
15.22
7. Italy
3.31
CIPA and PKO, the Contributions to International
3. Japan
8.56
8. Russia
3.05
Organizations (CIO) account funds two observer missions,
4. Germany
6.09
9. Canada
2.73
UNTSO (Israel and the Palestinians) and UNMOGIP (India
5. United Kingdom
5.79
10. S. Korea
2.27
and Pakistan), which are funded through U.S. contributions
Rest of Membership, Total Percent: 19.48
to the regular budget.
Source: U.N. document, A/73/350/Add.1, December 24, 2018.
For FY2020, the President requested $1.13 billion for U.N.
Note: Italics represent permanent Security Council members.
peacekeeping through the CIPA account, a 27% decrease
from the enacted FY2019 CIPA level of $1.55 billion
U.N. members voluntarily provide the military and police
(Table 2). In its request, the Administration highlighted its
personnel for each U.N. mission. Peacekeepers are paid by
“commitment to seek reduced costs by reevaluating
their own governments, which are reimbursed by the United
mandates, design and implementation” of peacekeeping
Nations at a standard rate determined by the Assembly
missions and sharing the funding burden “more fairly” with
(about $1,428 per soldier per month).The U.N.
other U.N. members.
peacekeeping financial year runs from July 1 to June 30; the
Assembly usually adopts resolutions to finance
U.S. peacekeeping funding may fluctuate year-to-year
peacekeeping missions in late June. The total approved
depending on a number of factors, including discrepancies
budget for the current peacekeeping year is $6.51 billion.
between the aforementioned peacekeeping assessment and
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link to page 2 United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding of U.N. Peacekeeping
the enacted U.S. cap, changes to the scale of assessments,
accounts in FY2017 and FY2018. For FY2019, the
timing of U.N. billing processes, application of
department estimates that cap-related arrears will total
peacekeeping credits, and changes to individual operations.
$204.6 million. Some U.S. policymakers disagree about the
status of peacekeeping arrears and argue that they should be
Table 2. U.S. Contributions: CIPA and PKO accounts
paid, while others do not recognize them as U.S. arrears and
(in thousands of U.S. dol ars)
claim the United States is under no obligation to pay them.
Some have also raised concerns about the impact of arrears
FY20
on the effectiveness of U.N. peacekeeping operations.
FY17
FY18
FY19
Req.

Sexual Abuse & Exploitation by U.N. Peacekeepers
CIPA
1,907,564
1,382,080
1,551,000
1,136,000
Congress has sought to link U.S. peacekeeping funding to
PKO-
165,266
101,070
101,074
a
the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by U.N.
UNSOS
peacekeepers and other personnel. Since FY2008, annual
SFOPS acts have prohibited the obligation of U.N.
Total
2,072,830
1,483,150
1,652,074
1,136,906
peacekeeping funds unless the Secretary of State certifies
Source: Annual SFOPS appropriations bil s, State Department
that the United Nations is implementing effective policies
congressional budget justifications and notifications.
and procedures to prevent U.N. employees and
Notes: CIPA funding levels are enacted; UNSOS funding levels are
peacekeeping troops from human trafficking or acts of
based on actual funding levels. The executive branch general y
illegal exploitation or other violations of human rights.
requests UNSOS funding through CIPA; however, Congress usual y
Since FY2017, SFOPS bills have also prohibited assistance
funds UNSOS through PKO.
to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country if
a.
there is credible information that such unit has engaged in

The FY2020 CIPA request includes $75.9 mil ion for UNSOS.
SEA until the Secretary certifies the government of the
Selected Policy Issues
country is taking steps to hold the unit accountable. In

addition, the Department of State Authorities Act, FY2017
Funding and Growth of U.N. Peacekeeping
(P.L. 114-323), requires the Department to report to
Congress on U.N. efforts to hold perpetrators accountable
Associated with debates over the level and extent of
for SEA prior to renewing or establishing a mission.
peacekeeping funding is the broader issue of the changing
nature of U.N. peacekeeping. The concept of peacekeeping
U.N. Peacekeeping Financial Situation
has evolved since the first mission was established in 1948.
“Traditional” peacekeeping involves implementi
Some experts and observers have expressed concern
ng cease-
regarding the financial status of U.N. peacekeeping
fire or peace agreements; however, in recent years, the
operations. In a March 2019 report to the General
Security Council has increasingly authorized operations in
Assembly, U.N. Secretary-General (SG) António Guterres
complex and insecure environments where there is little
noted an increase in the number of peacekeeping missions
peace to keep and no clear resolution or outcome.
that are frequently cash constrained. Causes include
Peacekeepers may be required to protect civilians, disarm
member state payment patterns and arrears, and “structural
violent groups, monitor human rights violations, or assist in
weaknesses” in peacekeeping budget methodologies,
delivering humanitarian aid. Such activities can place
including inefficient payment schedules and borrowing and
additional financial demands on U.N. members. Some
funding restrictions. According to the SG, these issues have
experts argue that current peacekeeping funding levels
led to cash shortages, delays in reimbursements to some
cannot effectively support the some of the broad mandates
troop contributing countries, and increased risks to “not
authorized by the Security Council.
only the functioning of its [U.N.] peacekeeping operations
The United States and Peacekeeping Arrears
but also the people who serve in difficult environments”
(see U.N. document A/73/809). To help address these
In the mid-1990s, the United States accumulated significant
issues, SG Guterres proposed several reforms that have
arrears to U.N. peacekeeping operations accounts and the
been adopted or are under consideration by U.N. member
U.N. regular budget. Many U.S. policymakers were
states. For example, in July 2019 the Assembly approved,
concerned that the United States could lose its vote in the
for a trial period, the management of cash balances of all
Assembly unless it made substantial payments on its
active peacekeeping operations in pool (while maintaining
outstanding dues. In 1999, Congress and the Administration
negotiated what is known as the “Helms
the balances in separate funds for each mission), and
-Biden
Agreement,” which established conditions under which
requested the SG to issue assessment letters for the full
budget period approved by the Assembly (see General
some U.S. arrears, including peacekeeping arrears, were
Assembly resolution 73/307). The United States has
paid. Since the enactment of Helms-Biden, some U.S.
generally supported these efforts, stating that it “continue[s]
arrears remain. The State Department reports that as of
to support overall improvements to the [peacekeeping]
August 2019, U.S. arrears accumulated prior to 2001 for
budget methodology.”
both open and closed peacekeeping operations total about
$328 million. (Most of these are from the gap between the
25% U.S. cap and the U.N. assessment pre-2001, while
Luisa Blanchfield, Specialist in International Relations
others are the result of congressional policy holds. The
IF10597
State Department has no plans to repay these arrears.) In
addition, the United States accumulated a combined $521
million in cap-related arrears from the CIO and PKO
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United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding of U.N. Peacekeeping


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