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Updated July 8, 2021
United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System
The United States is the single largest financial contributor
which will be adopted by the Assembly in December 2021.
to the United Nations (U.N.) system. Congress has long
The U.S. assessment is currently 22%, the highest of any
debated the appropriate level of U.S. funding to U.N.
U.N. member, followed by China (12%) and Japan (8.5%).
system activities and whether U.S. contributions are used
U.N. Specialized Agencies. The 15 U.N. specialized
efficiently and effectively.
agencies, which include the World Health Organization
U.S. policymakers’ perspectives on U.N. funding have
(WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization, and World
varied over time. Most recently, the Trump Administration
Bank Group, among others, are autonomous in executive,
consistently proposed significant overall decreases in U.N.
legislative, and budgetary powers. Some agencies follow
funding; however, Congress generally funded most U.N.
the scale of assessment for the U.N. regular budget, while
entities at higher levels than the Administration requested.
others use their own formulas to determine assessments.
At the same time, the Trump Administration also withheld
U.N. peacekeeping funding. There are currently 12 U.N.
or halted funding to several U.N. bodies. The Biden
peacekeeping missions worldwide with over 80,000
Administration has supported reengaging with the United
military, police, and civilian personnel. U.N. Security
Nations; the President’s FY2022 budget request proposes
Council resolutions establishing new operations specify
fully funding U.N. entities and paying selected U.S. arrears.
how each mission will be funded. In most cases, the
U.N. System Funding
Council authorizes the General Assembly to create a
discrete account for each operation funded by assessed
The U.N. system is made up of interconnected entities
contributions; recently, the General Assembly temporarily
including specialized agencies, funds and programs,
allowed peacekeeping funding to be pooled for increased
peacekeeping operations, and the U.N. organization itself.
financial flexibility due to concerns about budget shortfalls.
The U.N. Charter, ratified by the United States in 1945,
The approved budget for the 2021-2022 peacekeeping fiscal
requires each member state to contribute to the expenses of
year is $6.37 billion. The peacekeeping scale of
the organization. The system is financed by assessed and
assessments is based on modifications of the regular budget
voluntary contributions from U.N. members. Assessed
scale, with the five permanent Council members assessed at
contributions are required dues, the payment of which is a
a higher level than for the regular budget. The current U.S.
legal obligation accepted by a country when it becomes a
peacekeeping assessment is 27.89%; however, Congress
member. Such funding provides U.N. entities with a regular
has capped the U.S. contribution at 25%. Other top
source of income to pay for staff and implement core
contributors include China (15.2%) and Japan (8.5%).
programs. For example, the U.N. regular budget,
specialized agencies, and peacekeeping operations are all
U.S. Funding
financed mainly by assessed contributions. Voluntary
Congress has generally authorized funding to the U.N.
contributions primarily finance U.N. funds and programs.
system as part of Foreign Relations Authorization Acts.
The budgets for these entities may fluctuate annually
When authorization bills are not enacted, Congress has
depending on donor contribution levels. For more details on
waived such requirements and appropriated funds through
the U.N. system, see CRS In Focus IF11780, United
the Department of State and U.S. Agency for International
Nations Issues: Overview of the United Nations System, by
Development (USAID) accounts in annual Department of
Luisa Blanchfield.
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS)
appropriations bills (Table 1). President Biden’s FY2022
U.N. regular budget. The U.N. regular budget funds the
budget request includes the following:
core administrative costs of the organization, including the
U.N. General Assembly, Security Council, Secretariat,
$1.66 billion for the Contributions to International
International Court of Justice, special political missions,
Organizations (CIO) account, which funds assessed
and human rights entities. The regular budget is adopted by
contributions to the U.N. regular budget, U.N.
the Assembly and used to cover a two-year period;
specialized agencies, and other international
however, in 2017 the Assembly voted to change the budget
organizations (a $157 million increase over enacted
cycle to a one-year period beginning in 2020. Since the late
FY2021 funding of $1.51 billion). The request fully
1980s, most Assembly decisions related to the budget have
funds U.N. bodies and includes $82.4 million to pay
been adopted by consensus. When budget votes occur
U.S. arrears that accumulated due to U.S. withholdings
(which is rare) decisions are made by a two-thirds majority
from U.N. human rights bodies (including the Human
of members present and voting, with each country having
Rights Council) from FY2018 to FY2020. It also
one vote. The approved regular budget for 2021 is $3.23
requests $75 million to pay one year of assessments to
billion. The General Assembly determines a scale of
the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
assessments for the regular budget every three years based
on a country’s capacity to
Organization (UNESCO) and includes waiver language
pay. Governments are currently
to provide authority to rejoin the organization.
negotiating assessment rates for the 2022-2024 time period,
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link to page 2 United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System
$1.93 billion for the Contributions for International
arrears, which are generally outlined in the organization’s
Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account, which funds
constitution, statutes, or financial regulations.
U.S. assessed contributions to most U.N. peacekeeping
operations (a $472 million increase over enacted
Selected Policy Issues
FY2021 funding of $1.46 billion). The request would
U.N. regular budget assessment. Over the years,
fully fund U.N. peacekeeping beyond the enacted 25%
policymakers have expressed concern that current regular
cap and includes $300 million to begin paying U.S.
budget assessments levels result in the United States
arrears accumulated since FY2017.
providing the bulk of funding while having minimal
influence on the budget process. Some have called for
$457.1 million for the International Organizations and
increased transparency in the process for determining the
Programs (IO&P) account, which funds mostly core
scale of assessments. Conversely, others contend that the
voluntary contributions to U.N. funds and programs and
current assessment level is roughly equivalent to the U.S.
other international organizations (a nearly $70 million
share of world gros s national income. They argue that it
increase over the FY2021-enacted amount of $387.5
reflects U.S. commitment to the United Nations, affirms
million.) The FY2022 request includes $139 million for
U.S. leadership, leverages funding from other countries,
UNICEF and $56 million for the U.N. Population Fund.
and helps the United States achieve its goals in U.N. fora.
Table 1. U.S. Funding to Selected U.N.-Related
U.S. peacekeeping assessment cap. In 1995, due to
Accounts, FY2019 to FY2022
concerns that the U.S. peacekeeping assessment level was
(Thousands of U.S. Dollars)
too high (over 30%), Congress set a limit of 25% on the
funds authorized after FY1995. Between FY2001 and
FY2016, Congress enacted legislation to raise the cap
FY19
FY20
FY21
FY22
temporarily so that U.S. contributions were closer to U.N.
Actual
Actual
Estimate
Request
assessment levels. It did not enact a cap adjustment for
CIO
1,360,270
1,473,806
1,505,928
1,662,928
FY2017 through FY2019 and returned to 25%. As a result,
CIPA
1,550,900
1,526,283
1,456,214
1,928,614
the United States has accumulated about $920 million in
IO&P
364,000
358,000
387,500a
457,100
Sources: Annual congressional budget justifications and SFOPS bil s.
cap-related arrears from FY2017 to FY2020.
a.
IO&P received an additional $580 mil ion in FY2021 under Sec.
Executive branch role. Congress does not specifically
10005 of the American Rescue Plan Act (P.L. 117-2) for the
appropriate funding to many U.N. bodies. Instead, it often
U.N. Global Humanitarian Response Plan to COVID–19.
appropriates lump-sum amounts to U.N.-related accounts.
As a result, the executive branch has some leeway to
Other U.S. Contributions . The United States also provides
determine how funds are allocated, often with little or no
voluntary contributions to U.N. entities through other
congressional consultation. Some experts and policymakers
SFOPS accounts. According to USAID, the United States
are concerned that Administrations may not fund U.N.
contributed $5.5 billion to U.N. entities through the global
entities as Congress intended. They suggest that Congress
humanitarian accounts in FY2019, including Migration and
could legislate funding levels for specific U.N. entities or
Refugee Assistance, International Disaster Assistance, and
activities, exerting more control over U.S. funding to U.N.
Food for Peace, Title II (P.L. 480). (Complete FY2020 and
bodies. At the same time, others maintain that this approach
FY2021 funding allocations are not yet fully available.)
would deviate from longstanding (and bipartisan) practices
Such funding supported U.N. entities such as the U.N. High
intended to provide the executive branch with flexibility to
Commissioner for Refugees and World Food Program,
respond to emerging and unpredictable circumstances, such
among others. U.S. voluntary funding is also provided
as conflict, humanitarian crises, or health emergencies.
through other SFOPS accounts addressing health, security,
and development, including the Economic Support Fund
U.S. funding and U.N. reform. Congress has attempted to
and Global Health Programs accounts. In FY2019, U.N-
influence the United Nations by enacting legislation linking
related funding from these and other related accounts
U.S. funding to specific U.N. reform benchmarks or
totaled about $775 million. Congress appropriates overall
activities. For example, it has withheld or conditioned
funding to each of these accounts, while the executive
funding to UNESCO, the Human Rights Council and U.N.
branch determines how funds are allocated based on policy
activities related to the Palestinians. It has also limited U.S.
priorities and humanitarian needs.
payments to assessed budgets (e.g., the 25% peacekeeping
cap). From FY2014 through FY2020, SFOPS bills linked
U.S. Arrears. The United States often accumulates arrears
U.S. funding to U.N. whistleblower protection policies.
to the U.N. regular budget and other U.N. bodies due to
Some Members oppose such actions due to concerns that
differences between the U.S. and U.N. fiscal years (which
they may interfere with U.S. influence and standing in U.N.
affects the timing of U.S. payments), U.S. withholdings
fora. Others maintain that the United States should use its
from U.N. activities, and the State Department practice of
position as the largest financial contributor to push for
paying assessments on a deferred basis, causes some U.S.
reform, in some cases by withholding funding.
contributions to be delayed by a year. (These deferrals were
originally caused by Reagan Administration withholdings
to U.N. bodies in the 1980s.) The status of U.N. arrears
Luisa Blanchfield, Specialist in International Relations
varies by U.N. entity; each organization has its own
IF10354
payment timeline and system for defining and tracking
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United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System
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