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Updated March 5, 2021
United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System
The United States is the single largest financial contributor
powers. Some agencies follow the scale of assessment for
to the United Nations (U.N.) system. Congress has long
the U.N. regular budget, while others use their own
debated the appropriate level of U.S. contributions to U.N.
formulas to determine assessments.
system activities and whether U.S. funds are used
U.N. peacekeeping funding. There are currently 13 U.N.
efficiently and effectively. From FY2017 to FY2021, the
peacekeeping missions worldwide with over 80,000
Trump Administration consistently proposed significant
military, police, and civilian personnel. U.N. Security
overall decreases in U.N. funding; however, Congress
Council resolutions establishing new operations specify
generally funded most U.N. entities at higher levels than the
how each mission will be funded. In most cases, the
Administration requested. President Trump also withheld or
Council authorizes the General Assembly to create a
halted funding to several U.N. entities. President Biden has
discrete account for each operation funded by assessed
voiced support for U.S. participation in the U.N. system and
contributions; recently, the General Assembly temporarily
taken steps to resume U.S. funding to some U.N. bodies.
allowed peacekeeping funding to be pooled for increased
U.N. System Funding
financial flexibility due to concerns about budget shortfalls.
The approved budget for the 2020-2021 peacekeeping fiscal
The U.N. system is made up of interconnected entities
year is $6.58 billion. The Assembly adopts the
including specialized agencies, funds and programs,
peacekeeping scale of assessments every three years based
peacekeeping operations, and the U.N. organization itself.
on modifications of the regular budget scale, with the five
The U.N. Charter, ratified by the United States in 1945,
permanent Council members assessed at a higher level than
requires each member state to contribute to the expenses of
for the regular budget. The current U.S. peacekeeping
the organization. The system is financed by assessed and
assessment is 27.89%; however, the U.S. has capped its
voluntary contributions from U.N. members. Assessed
contribution at 25%. Other top contributors include China
contributions are required dues, the payment of which is a
(15.2%) and Japan (8.5%).
legal obligation accepted by a country when it becomes a
member. Such funding provides U.N. entities with a regular
U.N. financial situation. In a March 2019 report to the
source of income to pay for staff and implement core
General Assembly, the U.N. Secretary-General highlighted
programs. The U.N. regular budget, specialized agencies,
the “deteriorating financial health” of the United Nations,
and peacekeeping operations and are financed mainly by
which led to some budget shortfalls. He stated that these
assessed contributions. Voluntary contributions finance
challenges were not only the product of U.N. member state
special funds and programs. The budgets for these entities
“payment patterns and arrears,” but also “structural
may fluctuate annually depending on contribution levels.
weaknesses in [U.N.] budget methodology.” To help
U.N. regular budget and U.N. specialized agencies. The
address these issues, the General Assembly adopted several
U.N. regular budget funds the core administrative costs of
reforms, including pooling U.N. peacekeeping cash
the organization, including the General Assembly, Security
balances and changing peacekeeping billing processes (see
Council, Secretariat, International Court of Justice, special
General Assembly resolution 73/307). In October 2020,
political missions, and human rights entities. The regular
U.N. officials reported that while the reforms had helped to
budget is adopted by the Assembly to cover a two-year
alleviate some financial strain, the organization continues to
period; however, in 2017 the Assembly voted to change the
experience an “deepening liquidity crisis.”
budget cycle to a one-year period beginning in 2020. Since
the late 1980s, most Assembly decisions related to the
U.S. Funding
budget have been adopted by consensus. When budget
Congress has generally authorized funding to the U.N.
votes occur (which is rare) decisions are made by a two-
system as part of Foreign Relations Authorization Acts;
thirds majority of members present and voting, with each
appropriations are provided to the Department of State and
country having one vote. The approved regular budget for
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to
2020 was $3.2 billion. The General Assembly negotiates a
meet obligations. When authorization bills are not enacted,
scale of assessments for the regular budget every three
Congress has waived such requirements and appropriated
years based on a country’s capacity to pay. The U.S.
funds through accounts in annual Department of State,
assessment is currently 22%, the highest of any U.N.
Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS)
member state, followed by China (12%) and Japan (8.5%).
appropriations bills (see Table 1). The FY2021 SFOPS Act
The U.S. rate is set by a ceiling that was agreed to in the
(P.L. 116-260) includes the following:
General Assembly in 2000.
$1.51 billion for the Contributions to International
The 15 U.N. specialized agencies, which include the World
Organizations (CIO) account, which funds assessed
Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture
contributions to the U.N. regular budget, U.N.
Organization, and World Bank Group, among others, are
specialized agencies, and other international
autonomous in executive, legislative, and budgetary
organizations;
https://crsreports.congress.gov
United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System
$1.46 billion for the Contributions for International
Selected Policy Issues
Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account, which funds
U.N. regular budget assessment. Over the years,
U.S. assessed contributions to most U.N. peacekeeping
policymakers have expressed concern that current regular
operations; and
budget assessments levels result in the United States
providing the bulk of funding while having minimal
$387.5 million (including $344.27 for U.N. entities) for
influence on the budget process. Some have called for
the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P)
increased transparency in the process for determining the
account, which funds mostly core voluntary
scale of assessments. Conversely, some contend that the
contributions to U.N. funds and programs, such as
current assessment level is roughly equivalent to the U.S.
UNICEF and UN Women.
share of world gross national income. They argue that it
reflects U.S. commitment to the United Nations, affirms
Table 1. Selected U.S. Contributions, by Account
U.S. leadership, leverages funding from other countries,
(Thousands of $ U.S. Dollars)
and helps the United States achieve its goals in U.N. fora.
U.S. peacekeeping assessment cap. In 1995, due to
FY19 Act.
FY20 Est.
FY21 Enact.
concerns that the U.S. peacekeeping assessment level was
CIO
1,360,270
1,473,806
1,505,928
too high (over 30%), Congress set a limit of 25% on the
of which U.N. 1,063,827
1,152,870
N/A
funds authorized after FY1995. Between FY2001 and
CIPA
1,550,900
1,526,383
1,456,314
FY2016, Congress enacted legislation to raise the cap
IO&P
364,000
390,500
387,500
temporarily so that U.S. contributions were closer to U.N.
of which U.N. 319,750
310,275
344,275
assessment levels. It did not enact a cap adjustment for
Sources: Annual congressional budget justifications and SFOPS
FY2017 through FY2019, and it returned to 25%. As a
appropriations legislation and explanatory statements.
result, the United States has accumulated about $920
Notes: N/A = not yet available. Enacted CIPA funding does not
million in cap-related arrears from FY2017 to FY2020.
include funding for the U.N. Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS).
Administrations usual y request UNSOS funds through CIPA, but
Executive branch role. Congress does not specifically
Congress funds UNSOS through the Peacekeeping Operations
appropriate funding to many U.N. bodies. Instead, it often
account, which funds non-U.N. peacekeeping activities.
appropriates lump-sum amounts to U.N.-related accounts.
As a result, the executive branch has some leeway to
The United States provides voluntary contributions to U.N.
determine how funds are allocated, often with little or no
entities through other SFOPS accounts. For example,
congressional consultation. Some experts and policymakers
according to USAID’s Foreign Aid Explorer database, it
are concerned that Administrations may not fund U.N.
contributed $5.5 billion to U.N. humanitarian-related
entities as Congress intended. For example, some disagreed
activities through the global humanitarian accounts in
with President Trump’s decision to withhold funding from
FY2019, including Migration and Refugee Assistance,
WHO. Congress could legislate funding levels for specific
International Disaster Assistance, and Food for Peace, Title
U.N. entities or activities, taking more control over U.S.
II (P.L. 480). (Complete FY2020 and FY2021 funding
funding to U.N. bodies. This approach, however, would
allocations are not yet fully available.) Congress generally
deviate from longstanding (and bipartisan) practice
appropriates overall funding to each of these accounts,
intended to provide the executive branch with flexibility to
while the executive branch determines how funds are
respond to emerging and unpredictable circumstances (such
allocated based on foreign policy priorities and
as conflict, humanitarian crises, or health emergencies).
humanitarian needs. Voluntary U.N. funding is also
provided through accounts addressing health, security, and
U.S. funding and U.N. reform. Congress has attempted to
development, such as Economic Support Fund and Global
influence the United Nations by enacting legislation linking
Health Programs. According to USAID, U.N. funding from
U.S. funding to specific U.N. reform benchmarks or
these accounts in FY2019 totaled about $775 million and
activities. For example, it has withheld or placed conditions
included entities such as WHO, UNICEF, and the
on funding to the U.N. Human Rights Council and U.N.
International Atomic Energy Agency, among others.
activities related to the Palestinians. It has also limited U.S.
payments to assessed budgets (such as the aforementioned
The United States often accumulates arrears to the U.N.
25% peacekeeping cap). From FY2014 through FY2020,
regular budget and other U.N. bodies due to differences
SFOPS bills linked U.S. funding to U.N. whistleblower
between the U.S. and U.N. fiscal years (which affects the
protection and audit transparency policies. Some Members
timing of U.S. payments), U.S. withholdings from U.N.
oppose such actions due to concerns that they may interfere
activities, and the State Department practice of paying
with U.S. influence and ability to conduct diplomacy in
assessments on a deferred basis, causing some U.S.
U.N. fora. Others maintain that the United States should use
contributions to be delayed by a year. (These deferred
its position as the largest financial contributor to push for
payments were caused by withholdings to U.N. bodies by
reform, in some cases by withholding funding.
the Reagan Administration in the 1980s.) The status of U.N.
arrears varies by U.N. entity; each organization has its own
payment timeline and system for defining and tracking
Luisa Blanchfield, Specialist in International Relations
arrears, which are generally outlined in the organization’s
IF10354
constitution, statutes, or financial regulations.
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United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10354 · VERSION 27 · UPDATED