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Updated April 20, 2022
United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding of U.N. Peacekeeping
The United States is the single largest financial contributor
their own governments, which are reimbursed by the United
to United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeping activities. Congress
Nations at a standard rate determined by the Assembly
authorizes and appropriates U.S. contributions, and it has an
(about $1,428 per soldier per month).
ongoing interest in ensuring such funding is used as
The U.N. peacekeeping financial year runs from July 1 to
efficiently and effectively as possible. The United States, as
June 30; the Assembly usually adopts resolutions to finance
a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, plays a
peacekeeping missions in late June. The total approved
key role in establishing, renewing, and funding U.N.
budget for the 2021-2022 peacekeeping year is $6.38
peacekeeping operations. For 2022, the United Nations
billion. Operations with the highest annual budgets are
assessed the U.S. share of U.N. peacekeeping at 26.94%;
MINUSMA (Mali), at $1.17 billion; UNMISS (South
however, since 1994 Congress has capped the U.S. payment
Sudan), at $1.11 billion; and MONUSCO (Democratic
at 25% due to concerns that U.S. assessments are too high.
Republic of the Congo), at $1.04 billion.
Congress appropriated $1.5 billion to most U.N.
peacekeeping activities for FY2022 (up to the 25% cap).
U.S. Policy
Most recently, President Biden’s FY2023 budget proposes
Background and Context: The Enacted U.S. Cap
full U.S. funding for U.N. peacekeeping, including the
payment of 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% of the peacekeeping
The United Nations currently operates 12 U.N.
budget for all fiscal years after 1995 (P.L. 103-236). Over
peacekeeping missions worldwide, with more than 80,000
the years, the gap between the actual U.S. assessment and
military, police, and civilian personnel from over 100
the cap led to funding shortfalls. The State Department and
countries. The Security Council adopts a resolution to
Congress often covered these by raising the cap for limited
establish each operation and specifies how it will be funded.
periods and/or by allowing the application of U.N.
Historically, the Council has authorized the U.N. General
peacekeeping credits (excess U.N. funds from previous
Assembly to create a separate assessed account for each
missions) to fund outstanding U.S. balances. For many
operation to be supported by member states contributions.
years, these actions allowed the United States to pay its
In recent years, due to concerns about budget shortfalls, the
peacekeeping dues in full. However, since FY2017
General Assembly has pooled peacekeeping funding to
Congress has declined to raise the cap, and in mid-2017, the
allow for increased financial flexibility.
Trump Administration allowed for the application of
peacekeeping credits up to, but not beyond, the 25% cap—
The General Assembly adopts the scale of assessments for
which led to the accumulation of over $900 million in U.S.
U.N. member contributions to peacekeeping operations
arrears from FY2017 to FY2020. In early 2021, President
every three years. The peacekeeping scale is based on a
Biden reversed the Trump Administration policy and
modification of the U.N. regular budget scale, with the five
allowed for the applications of peacekeeping credits beyond
permanent council members assessed at a higher level than
the cap.
for the regular budget. For example, the United States is
Key Accounts and Recent Funding Levels
assessed at 22% of the regular budget; however, its current
peacekeeping assessment is 26.94%. Other top contributors
U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping
include China, Japan, and Germany (Table 1). In December
operations are provided primarily through the Contributions
2021, the General Assembly adopted the assessment rates
for International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account,
for the 2022-2024 time period.
which is funded through annual State Department-Foreign
Operations (SFOPS) Appropriations Acts. CIPA funds 10
Table 1. Top Financial Contributors to U.N.
of the 12 U.N. peacekeeping operations, as well as the U.N.
Peacekeeping, 2022, by Assessment Rate
criminal tribunals and mission monitoring activities (Figure
Country
Percent
Country
Percent
1).
1. United States
26.94
6. France
5.28
In addition to CIPA, the Contributions to International
2. China
18.68
7. Italy
3.18
Organizations (CIO) account funds two observer missions,
3. Japan
8.03
8. Canada
2.62
UNTSO (Israel and the Palestinians) and UNMOGIP (India
4. Germany
6.11
9. S. Korea
2.57
and Pakistan), through U.S. contributions to the U.N.
5. United Kingdom
5.35
10. Russia
2.28
regular budget. The Peacekeeping Operations (PKO)
Rest of Membership, Total Percent: 81.04
account, which funds most non-U.N. peacekeeping and
Source: U.N. document, A/76/296/Rev.1/Add.1, December 28, 2021.
regional stability operations, provides assessed
Note: Italics represent permanent Security Council members.
contributions to the U.N. Support Office in Somalia
(UNSOS), a U.N.-authorized logistics mission that supports
U.N. members voluntarily provide military and police
the African Union Mission in Somalia.
personnel for each U.N. mission. Peacekeepers are paid by
https://crsreports.congress.gov
United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding of U.N. Peacekeeping
For FY2023, President Biden requested $2.33 billion for
substantial payments on its outstanding dues. In 1999,
CIPA (a nearly $830 million increase over enacted FY2022
Congress and the Administration negotiated what is known
funding of $1.50 billion). The request is significantly higher
as the “Helms-Biden Agreement,” which established
than recent CIPA funding levels; it includes full funding for
conditions under which some U.S. arrears, including
U.N. peacekeeping operations, as well as $620 million to
peacekeeping arrears, were paid. Since the enactment of
pay arrears accrued from FY2017 to FY2020 due to the
Helms-Biden, some U.S. arrears remain. Arrears
25% cap and $110.3 million to pay arrears from the 2021-
accumulated prior to 2001 for both open and closed
2022 peacekeeping year (also due to the cap). In the
peacekeeping operations total about $328 million. (Most of
FY2022 budget request, President Biden proposed the
these are from the gap between the 25% U.S. cap and the
payment of some peacekeeping arrears but Congress did not
U.N. assessment pre-2001, while others are the result of
appropriate such funding as part of the FY2022 SFOPS Act.
congressional policy holds.) As previously noted, the
United States also accumulated over $900 million in
Figure 1. CIPA Account Funding, FY2017-FY2022
additional cap-related arrears from FY2017 through
(Actual funding unless otherwise indicated)
FY2020. Some U.S. policymakers disagree about the status
of peacekeeping arrears and argue that they should be paid,
$2
$ in billions
while others do not recognize them as arrears and claim the
1.9
1.38
1.53
United States is under no obligation to pay them. Some
1.5
1.55
1.46
have also raised concerns about the impact of U.S. arrears
$1
on the effectiveness of U.N. peacekeeping operations.
Sexual Abuse & Exploitation by U.N. Peacekeepers
Congress has sought to link U.S. peacekeeping funding to
$0
the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by U.N.
FY17
FY18
FY19
FY20
FY21
FY22
peacekeepers. For example, SFOPS Acts since FY2008
(enact.)
have prohibited the obligation of U.N. peacekeeping
Source: Congressional budget justifications, annual SFOPS bil s.
funding unless the Secretary of State certifies that the
United Nations is implementing effective policies and
procedures to prevent U.N. employees and peacekeeping
U.S. funding may fluctuate annually depending on several
troops from human trafficking or acts of illegal exploitation
factors, including differences between the U.S. and U.N.
or other violations of human rights. Since FY2017, SFOPS
peacekeeping fiscal years (the U.S. fiscal year is from
bills have also prohibited assistance to any unit of the
October 1 to September 30, while the U.N. peacekeeping
security forces of a foreign country if there is credible
fiscal year is from July 1 to June 30), and discrepancies
information that such unit has engaged in SEA until the
between the peacekeeping assessment and the enacted U.S.
Secretary of State certifies the country is taking steps to
cap. Payments may also be affected by changes to
hold the unit accountable. The Department of State
assessment rates, the application of peacekeeping credits,
Authorities Act, FY2017 (P.L. 114-323) also requires
and changes to individual operations. In some years, the
reporting on U.N. efforts to hold perpetrators accountable
timing of State Department reports to Congress (which are
for SEA prior to renewing or establishing a mission.
required by SFOPS Acts) have delayed U.S. payments.
U.N. Peacekeeping Financial Situation
Selected Policy Issues
Some experts have expressed concern regarding the
Funding and Growth of U.N. Peacekeeping
financial status of U.N. peacekeeping operations. In 2019,
U.N. Secretary-General (SG) António Guterres noted an
Debates over U.N. peacekeeping funding often occur
increase in the number of peacekeeping missions that were
against the backdrop of broader concerns regarding the
frequently cash constrained. Causes included payment
changing nature of U.N. peacekeeping. The concept of
patterns and arrears, and “structural weaknesses” in
peacekeeping has evolved since the first mission was
established in 1948. “Traditional” peacekeeping involves
peacekeeping budget methodologies, including inefficient
payment schedules and borrowing and funding restrictions.
implementing cease-fire or peace agreements; however, in
Such issues led to cash shortages and delays in
recent years, the Security Council has increasingly
reimbursements to some troop contributing countries (see
authorized operations in complex and insecure
U.N. document A/73/809). To help address these issues, in
environments where there is little peace to keep and no
July 2019 the General Assembly approved the management
clear outcome. Peacekeepers may be required to protect
of cash balances of all active peacekeeping operations as a
civilians, disarm violent groups, monitor human rights
pool (while maintaining the balances in separate funds for
violations, or assist in delivering humanitarian assistance.
each mission), and requested that the SG issue assessment
Such activities can place additional financial demands on
letters for the full budget period approved by the Assembly
U.N. members. Some experts argue that current
(Assembly resolution 73/307). The United States supported
peacekeeping funding cannot effectively support some of
these efforts. As of October 19, 2021 (most recently
the broad mandates authorized by the Council.
available information), U.N. officials report that due in part
The United States and Peacekeeping Arrears
to these reforms, the overall liquidity of active
In the mid-1990s, the United States accumulated significant
peacekeeping operation 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
IF10597
https://crsreports.congress.gov
United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding of U.N. Peacekeeping
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