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Updated January 20, 2023
United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System
The United States is the single largest financial contributor
U.N. Specialized Agencies. The 15 U.N. specialized
to the United Nations (U.N.) system. Congress has long
agencies, which include the World Health Organization;
debated the appropriate level of U.S. funding to U.N.
Food and Agriculture Organization; and U.N. Educational,
system activities and whether U.S. contributions are used
Scientific, and Educational Organization (UNESCO),
efficiently and effectively. U.S. policymakers’ perspectives
among others, are autonomous in executive, legislative, and
on U.N. funding have varied over time. For example, the
budgetary powers. Some agencies follow the scale of
Trump Administration consistently proposed significant
assessment for the U.N. regular budget, while others use
decreases in U.N. funding and withheld contributions to
their own formulas to determine assessments. The United
some U.N. bodies; however, Congress funded most U.N.
States is a member of 12 of 15 U.N. specialized agencies.
entities at higher levels than the Administration requested.
U.N. peacekeeping funding. There are currently 12 U.N.
The Biden Administration supports U.S. engagement with
peacekeeping missions worldwide with over 80,000
U.N. entities; the President’s FY2023 budget request
military, police, and civilian personnel. U.N. Security
proposed fully funding assessed contributions to U.N.
Council resolutions establishing new operations specify
bodies and paying selected U.S. arrears. For FY2023,
how each mission will be funded. In most cases, the
Congress fully funded most U.N. entities but (as in previous
Council authorizes the General Assembly to create a
years) withheld or conditioned funding for certain activities.
discrete account for each operation funded by assessed
U.N. System Funding
contributions; recently, the General Assembly temporarily
allowed peacekeeping funding to be pooled for increased
The U.N. system comprises interconnected entities
financial flexibility due to concerns about budget shortfalls.
including specialized agencies, funds and programs,
The approved budget for the 2022-2023 peacekeeping fiscal
peacekeeping operations, and the U.N. organization itself.
year (July 1 to June 30) is $6.45 billion. The peacekeeping
The U.N. Charter, ratified by the United States in 1945,
scale of assessments is based on modifications of the
requires each member state to contribute to the expenses of
regular budget scale, with the five permanent Council
the organization. The system is financed by assessed and
members assessed at a higher level than for the regular
voluntary contributions from U.N. members. Assessed
budget. The current U.S. peacekeeping assessment is
contributions are required dues, the payment of which is a
26.94%; however, Congress has capped the U.S.
legal obligation accepted by a country when it becomes a
contribution at 25%. China (18.69%) and Japan (8.03%)
member. Such funding provides U.N. entities with a regular
have the next highest assessment rates.
source of income to pay for staff and implement core
programs. The U.N. regular budget, specialized agencies,
U.S. Funding
and peacekeeping operations are all financed mainly by
U.S. funding to the United Nations is authorized under the
assessed contributions. Voluntary contributions primarily
United Nations Participation Act of 1945 (P.L. 79-264, as
finance U.N. funds and programs, such as UNICEF and the
amended). Funding authorization for other U.N. bodies is
U.N. Development Program, and donor commitments may
also included in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (P.L.
fluctuate annually. For more information, see CRS In Focus
87-195, as amended). Congress generally appropriates U.N.
IF11780, United Nations Issues: Overview of the United
system funding through the Department of State and U.S.
Nations System.
Agency for International Development (USAID) accounts
in annual Department of State, Foreign Operations, and
U.N. regular budget. The U.N. regular budget funds the
Related Programs (SFOPS) Appropriations Acts (Table 1).
core administrative costs of the organization, including the
The FY2023 SFOPS Act (Division K of the Consolidated
U.N. General Assembly, Security Council, Secretariat,
Appropriations Act, 2023; P.L. 117-328) includes about
International Court of Justice, special political missions,
$1.44 billion for the Contributions to International
and human rights entities. The regular budget is adopted by
Organizations (CIO) account, which funds assessed
the Assembly and covers one calendar year (January 1 to
contributions to the U.N. regular budget, U.N. specialized
December 31). Most Assembly decisions related to the
agencies, and other international organizations (IOs). The
budget are adopted by consensus. When budget votes occur
Act also includes $1.48 billion for the Contributions for
(which is rare) decisions are made by a two-thirds majority
International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account,
of members present and voting, with each country having
which funds U.S. assessed contributions to most U.N.
one vote. The approved regular budget for 2023 is $3.4
peacekeeping operations up to the 25% cap. (This amount
billion. The Assembly determines a regular budget scale of
assessments every three years based on a country’s capacity
does not include payment of peacekeeping arrears as
requested in the President’s FY2023 budget.)
to pay. (Most recently, the Assembly adopted assessment
rates for the 2022-2024 period in December 2021.) The
Additionally, the act provides $508.6 million for the
United States is assessed 22%, the highest of any U.N.
International Organizations & Programs (IO&P) account,
member, followed by China (15.25%) and Japan (8.03%).
which funds mostly core voluntary contributions to U.N.
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link to page 2 United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System
funds and programs and other IOs. This includes $142
from U.N. entities, and the State Department practice of
million for the U.N. Children’s Fund, $81.5 million for the
paying assessments on a deferred basis, causing some U.S.
U.N. Development Program, and (new for FY2023) $75
funding to be delayed by a year. (These deferrals originate
million for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for
from U.N. withholdings by President Reagan.) The status of
Palestinian Refugees in the Near East.
arrears varies by entity; each organization has its own
process for paying, defining and tracking arrears.
Table 1. U.S. Funding: Select U.N.-Related Accounts
(Thousands of current U.S. dol ars)
Selected Policy Issues
U.N. regular budget assessment. Over the years,
FY20
FY21
FY22
FY23
policymakers have expressed concern that current regular
Actual
Actual
Enacted
Enacted
budget assessments levels result in the United States
CIO
1,473,806
1,505,928
1,662,928
1,438,000
providing the bulk of funding while having minimal
CIPA
1,526,283
1,456,214
1,498,614
1,481,915
influence on the budget process. Some have called for
IO&P
358,000
387,500
increased transparency in the process for determining the
a
423,000
508,600
scale of assessments. Conversely, others contend that the
Sources: Annual congressional budget justifications and SFOPS bil s.
current assessment level is roughly equivalent to the U.S.
a. IO&P received an additional $580 mil ion in FY2021 under
share of world gross national income. They argue that it
Section 10005 of the American Rescue Plan Act (P.L. 117-2).
reflects U.S. commitment to the United Nations, affirms
U.S. leadership, leverages funding from other countries,
Other U.S. Contributions. The United States also provides
and helps the United States achieve its goals in U.N. fora.
voluntary contributions to U.N. entities through other
SFOPS accounts. Congress generally appropriates overall
U.S. peacekeeping assessment cap. In 1995, due to
funding to each of these accounts, while the executive
concerns that the U.S. peacekeeping assessment was too
branch determines how funds are allocated based on policy
high (over 30%), Congress set a limit of 25% on funds
priorities and issue-specific needs. For example, USAID
authorized after FY1995. From FY2001 to FY2016,
reports that the United States contributed about $5.87
Congress enacted legislation to raise the cap temporarily so
billion to U.N. entities through global humanitarian
that U.S. contributions were closer to U.N. assessment
accounts in FY2020 (most recent and complete data),
levels. It did not enact an adjustment for FY2017 through
including Migration and Refugee Assistance, International
FY2023, and the cap returned to 25%. As a result, the
Disaster Assistance, and Food for Peace, Title II (P.L. 480).
United States has accumulated over $1 billion in cap-related
Such funding supported U.N. entities such as the U.N. High
arrears.
Commissioner for Refugees and World Food Program. U.S.
funding is also provided through accounts supporting
Executive branch role. Congress does not specifically
health, security, and development programs, including the
appropriate funding to many U.N. bodies. Instead, it often
Economic Support Fund and Global Health Programs
appropriates lump-sum amounts to U.N.-related accounts.
accounts, among others.
As a result, the executive branch has some leeway to
determine how funds are allocated, often with little or no
UNESCO funding. The United States withheld over $600
congressional consultation. Some observers are concerned
million in assessed contributions to UNESCO from FY2012
that Administrations may not fund U.N. entities as
until its withdrawal from the organization in 2018 under
Congress intended. They suggest that Congress could
restrictions in P.L. 101-246 and P.L. 103-236. (These laws
legislate funding levels for specific U.N. entities or
prohibit funding to U.N. entities that accord the Palestine
activities. At the same time, others maintain that this
Liberation Organization the same standing as member
approach deviates from long-standing (and largely
states, or grant full membership as a state to any group that
bipartisan) practices intended to provide the executive
does not have the internationally recognized attributes of
branch with flexibility to respond to unpredictable
statehood.) The FY2023 SFOPS Act waives the above
circumstances (e.g. conflict, humanitarian, or health crises).
restrictions if the Administration determines and reports to
Congress that doing so “would enable the United States to
U.S. funding and U.N. reform. Congress has attempted to
counter Chinese influence or to promote other national
influence the United Nations by enacting legislation linking
interests of the United States.” The waiver, which sunsets in
U.S. funding to specific U.N. reforms or activities. For
September 2025, would cease to exist if “the Palestinians
instance, it has withheld or conditioned funding to
obtain the same standing as member states or full
UNESCO, the Human Rights Council and U.N. activities
membership as a state in the [U.N.] or any specialized
related to the Palestinians. It has also limited U.S. payments
agency” through means “outside an agreement negotiated
to assessed budgets (e.g., the 25% peacekeeping cap). Some
between Israel and the Palestinians.” U.S. assessed
Members oppose such actions due to concerns that they
contributions to UNESCO are generally funded through the
may interfere with U.S. influence and standing in U.N. fora.
CIO account, while some voluntary funding is usually
Others maintain that the United States should use its
provided through the IO&P account.
position as the largest financial contributor to push for
reform, in some cases by withholding U.S. funding.
U.S. Arrears. The United States often accumulates arrears
to the U.N. regular budget and other U.N. bodies due to
Luisa Blanchfield, Specialist in International Relations
differences between the U.S. and U.N. fiscal years (which
affects the timing of U.S. payments), U.S. withholdings
IF10354
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United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System
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