Updated October 26, 2021
United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding of U.N. Peacekeeping
The United States is the single largest financial contributor
U.N. members voluntarily provide military and police
to United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeping activities. Congress
personnel for each U.N. mission. Peacekeepers are paid by
authorizes and appropriates U.S. contributions, and it has an
their own governments, which are reimbursed by the United
ongoing interest in ensuring such funding is used as
Nations at a standard rate determined by the Assembly
efficiently and effectively as possible. The United States, as
(about $1,428 per soldier per month).
a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, plays a
The U.N. peacekeeping financial year runs from July 1 to
key role in establishing, renewing, and funding U.N.
June 30; the Assembly usually adopts resolutions to finance
peacekeeping operations.
peacekeeping missions in late June. The total approved
For 2021, the United Nations assessed the U.S. share of
budget for the 2020-2021 peacekeeping year is $6.58
U.N. peacekeeping at 27.89%; however, since 1994
billion. Operations with the highest annual budgets are
Congress has capped the U.S. payment at 25% due to
MINUSMA (Mali), at $1.18 billion; UNMISS (South
concerns that U.S. assessments are too high. Congress
Sudan), at $1.17 billion; and MONUSCO (Democratic
appropriated $1.46 billion in contributions to most U.N.
Republic of the Congo), at $1.07 billion.
peacekeeping activities for FY2021 (up to the 25% cap).
U.S. Policy
Most recently, President Biden’s FY2022 budget request
proposes full U.S. funding for U.N. peacekeeping and also
Background and Context: The Enacted U.S. Cap
includes the payment of some U.S. peacekeeping arrears.
In the early 1990s, the U.S. peacekeeping assessment was
over 30%, which Congress found too high. In 1994,
U.N. Peacekeeping Funding
Members capped U.S. funding at 25% for all fiscal years
The United Nations currently operates 12 U.N.
after 1995 (P.L. 103-236). Over the years, the gap between
peacekeeping missions worldwide, with more than 80,000
the actual U.S. assessment and the cap led to funding
military, police, and civilian personnel from over 100
shortfalls. The State Department and Congress often
countries. The Security Council adopts a resolution to
covered these by raising the cap for limited periods and/or
establish each operation and specifies how it will be funded.
by allowing the application of U.N. peacekeeping credits
Historically, the Council has authorized the U.N. General
(excess U.N. funds from previous missions) to fund
Assembly to create a separate assessed account for each
outstanding U.S. balances. For many years, these actions
operation to be supported by member states’ contributions.
allowed the United States to pay its peacekeeping dues in
In recent years, due to concerns about budget shortfalls, the
full. However, since FY2017 Congress has declined to raise
General Assembly has temporarily allowed peacekeeping
the cap, and in mid-2017, the Trump Administration
funding to be pooled for increased financial flexibility.
allowed for the application of peacekeeping credits up to,
but not beyond, the 25% cap—which led to the
The General Assembly adopts the scale of assessments for
accumulation of about $920 million in U.S. arrears from
U.N. member contributions to peacekeeping operations
FY2017 to FY2020. In early 2021, President Biden
every three years. The peacekeeping scale is based on a
reversed the Trump Administration policy and allowed for
modification of the U.N. regular budget scale, with the five
the applications of peacekeeping credits beyond the cap.
permanent council members assessed at a higher level than
for the regular budget. For example, the United States is
Key Accounts and Recent Funding Levels
assessed at 22% of the regular budget; its current
Most U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping
peacekeeping assessment is 27.89%. Other top contributors
operations are provided primarily through the Contributions
include China, Japan, and Germany (Error! Reference
for International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account,
source not found.). U.N. member states are currently
which is funded through annual State Department-Foreign
negotiating assessment rates for the 2022-2024 period,
Operations (SFOPS) appropriations acts. CIPA funds the
which will be adopted by the Assembly in December 2021.
majority of U.N. peacekeeping operations, as well as the
U.N. criminal tribunals and mission monitoring activities.
Table 1.Top Financial Contributors to U.N.
Peacekeeping, 2021, by Assessment Rate
In addition to CIPA, the Contributions to International
Country
Percent
Country
Percent
Organizations (CIO) account funds two observer missions,
1. United States
27.89
6. France
5.61
UNTSO (Israel and the Palestinians) and UNMOGIP (India
2. China
15.22
7. Italy
3.31
and Pakistan), through U.S. contributions to the U.N.
3. Japan
8.56
8. Russia
3.05
regular budget. The Peacekeeping Operations (PKO)
4. Germany
6.09
9. Canada
2.73
account, which funds most non-U.N. peacekeeping and
5. United Kingdom
5.79
10. S. Korea
2.27
regional stability operations, provides assessed
Rest of Membership, Total Percent: 19.48
contributions to the U.N. Support Office in Somalia
(UNSOS), a U.N.-authorized logistics mission that supports
Source: U.N. document, A/73/350/Add.1, December 24, 2018.
the African Union Mission in Somalia.
Note: Italics represent permanent Security Council members.
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United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding of U.N. Peacekeeping
For FY2022, President Biden requested $1.93 billion for
as the “Helms-Biden Agreement,” which established
CIPA (a $472 million increase over enacted FY2021
conditions under which some U.S. arrears, including
funding of $1.46 billion).The request would fully fund U.N.
peacekeeping arrears, were paid. Since the enactment of
peacekeeping beyond the enacted 25% cap and includes
Helms-Biden, some U.S. arrears remain. As of October
$300 million to begin paying U.S. peacekeeping arrears
2021, U.S. arrears accumulated prior to 2001 for both open
accumulated since FY2017.
and closed peacekeeping operations total about $328
million. (Most of these are from the gap between the 25%
Figure 1. CIPA Account Funding, FY2016-FY2021
U.S. cap and the U.N. assessment pre-2001, while others
(Actual funding levels unless otherwise indicated)
are the result of congressional policy holds.) The State
Department has no plans to repay these arrears. As
previously noted, the United States has also accumulated
about $920 million in new cap-related arrears between since
FY2017 and FY2020. Some U.S. policymakers disagree
about the status of peacekeeping arrears and argue that they
should be paid, while others do not recognize them as
arrears and claim the United States is under no obligation to
pay them. Some have also raised concerns about the impact
of arrears on the effectiveness of U.N. peacekeeping.
Sexual Abuse & Exploitation by U.N. Peacekeepers
Congress has sought to link U.S. peacekeeping funding to
the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by U.N.

peacekeepers. Since FY2008, SFOPS acts have prohibited
Source: Department of State congressional budget justifications
the obligation of U.N. peacekeeping funding unless the
and annual SFOPS bil s.
Secretary of State certifies that the United Nations is
implementing effective policies and procedures to prevent
U.S. funding may fluctuate annually depending on several
U.N. employees and peacekeeping troops from human
factors, including discrepancies between the peacekeeping
trafficking or acts of illegal exploitation or other violations
assessment and the enacted U.S. cap, changes to assessment
of human rights. Since FY2017, SFOPS bills have also
rates, application of peacekeeping credits, and
prohibited assistance to any unit of the security forces of a
modifications to individual operations. Additionally, some
foreign country if there is credible information that such
U.S. payments may be delayed due to differences between
unit has engaged in SEA until the Secretary of State
the U.S. and U.N. peacekeeping fiscal years. The timing of
certifies the country is taking steps to hold the unit
State Department reports to Congress on U.N.
accountable. The Department of State Authorities Act,
peacekeeping (which SFOPS acts require in order for CIPA
FY2017 (P.L. 114-323) also requires reporting on U.N.
funding to be obligated) may also affect U.S. payments.
efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for SEA prior to
renewing or establishing a mission.
Selected Policy Issues
U.N. Peacekeeping Financial Situation
Funding and Growth of U.N. Peacekeeping
Some experts have expressed concern regarding the
Debates over U.N. peacekeeping funding often occur
financial status of U.N. peacekeeping operations. In 2019,
against the backdrop of broader concerns regarding the
U.N. Secretary-General (SG) António Guterres noted an
changing nature of U.N. peacekeeping. The concept of
increase in the number of peacekeeping missions that were
peacekeeping has evolved since the first mission was
frequently cash constrained. Causes included payment
established in 1948. “Traditional” peacekeeping involves
patterns and arrears, and “structural weaknesses” in
implementing cease-fire or peace agreements; however, in
peacekeeping budget methodologies, including inefficient
recent years, the Security Council has increasingly
payment schedules and borrowing and funding restrictions.
authorized operations in complex and insecure
Such issues led to cash shortages and delays in
environments where there is little peace to keep and no
reimbursements to some troop contributing countries (see
clear outcome. Peacekeepers may be required to protect
U.N. document A/73/809). To help address these issues, in
civilians, disarm violent groups, monitor human rights
July 2019 the General Assembly approved the management
violations, or assist in delivering humanitarian assistance.
of cash balances of all active peacekeeping operations in
Such activities can place additional financial demands on
pool (while maintaining the balances in separate funds for
U.N. members. Some experts argue that current
each mission), and requested the SG issue assessment
peacekeeping funding cannot effectively support the some
letters for the full budget period approved by the Assembly
of the broad mandates authorized by the Council.
(Assembly resolution 73/307). The United States supported
these efforts. As of October 19, 2021, U.N. officials report
The United States and Peacekeeping Arrears
that due in part to these reforms the overall liquidity of
In the mid-1990s, the United States accumulated significant
active peacekeeping operations continues to improve.
U.N. peacekeeping and U.N. regular budget arrears. Many
U.S. policymakers were concerned that the United States
Luisa Blanchfield, Specialist in International Relations
could lose its vote in the General Assembly unless it made
substantial payments on its outstanding dues. In 1999,
IF10597
Congress and the Administration negotiated what is known


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United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding of U.N. Peacekeeping


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