United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System

United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System

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Updated April 9, 2024
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 13 of 15 U.N. specialized agencies.
entities at higher levels than the Administration requested.
U.N. peacekeeping funding. There are 11 U.N.
The Biden Administration supports continued U.S.
peacekeeping missions worldwide with over 70,000
engagement with U.N. entities; the President’s FY2025
military, police, and civilian personnel. U.N. Security
budget request proposed fully funding U.N. bodies and
Council resolutions establishing new operations specify
paying selected U.S. arrears. For FY2024, Congress fully
how each mission will be funded. In most cases, the
funded most U.N. entities but (as in previous years)
Council authorizes the General Assembly to create a
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 2023-2024 peacekeeping fiscal
peacekeeping operations, and the U.N. organization itself.
year (July 1 to June 30) is $6.1 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 (UNDP), and donor
also included in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (P.L.
commitments may fluctuate annually.
87-195, as amended). Congress generally appropriates U.N.
system funding through the Department of State and U.S.
U.N. regular budget. The U.N. regular budget funds the
Agency for International Development (USAID) accounts
core administrative costs of the organization, including the
in annual Department of State, Foreign Operations, and
U.N. General Assembly, Security Council, Secretariat,
Related Programs (SFOPS) Appropriations Acts (Table 1).
International Court of Justice, special political missions,
Selected U.N.-related funding accounts are outlined below:
and human rights entities. The regular budget is adopted by
the Assembly and covers one calendar year (January 1 to
• The Contributions to International Organizations (CIO)
December 31). Most Assembly decisions related to the
account funds assessed contributions to the U.N. regular
budget are adopted by consensus. When budget votes occur
budget, U.N. specialized agencies, and other
(which is rare) decisions are made by a two-thirds majority
international organizations (IOs). For FY2024, Congress
of members present and voting, with each country having
provided $1.54 billion to the CIO account. The
one vote. The approved regular budget for U.N. FY2024 is
President’s FY2025 CIO budget request is $1.68 billion,
$3.6 billion. The Assembly determines a regular budget
including funding for UNESCO (see below).
scale of assessments every three years based on a country’s
•
capacity to pay. (The Assembly will likely adopt new
The Contributions for International Peacekeeping
assessment rates for the 2025-2027 period in December
Activities (CIPA) account funds U.S. assessments to
2024.) The United States is currently assessed 22%, the
most U.N. peacekeeping operations. For FY2024,
highest of any U.N. member, followed by China (15.25%)
Congress provided $1.37 billion to the CIPA account.
and Japan (8.03%).
The President’s FY2025 CIPA budget request is $1.23
billion, which would fund the U.S. peacekeeping
assessment up to the enacted 25% cap.
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United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System
• The International Organizations & Programs (IO&P)
paying assessments on a deferred basis, causing some U.S.
account funds mostly core voluntary contributions to
funding to be delayed by a year. (These deferrals originate
U.N. funds and programs and other IOs such as the U.N.
from U.N. withholdings by President Reagan.) The status of
Children’s Fund and UNDP. For FY2024, Congress
arrears varies by entity; each organization has its own
provided $436.92 million to the IO&P account. The
process for paying, defining and tracking arrears.
Administration’s FY2025 IO&P budget request is
$459.80 million.
Selected Policy Issues
U.N. regular budget assessment. Over the years,
Table 1. U.S. Funding: Select U.N.-Related Accounts
policymakers have expressed concern that current regular
(Thousands of current U.S. dol ars)
budget assessments levels result in the United States
providing the bulk of U.N. funding while having minimal
FY2022
FY2023
FY2024
FY2025
influence on the budget process. Some have called for

Enacted
Enacted
Enacted
Request
increased transparency in the process for determining the
CIO
1,662,928
1,438,000
1,543,452
1,676,686
scale of assessments. Conversely, others contend that the
CIPA
1,498,614
1,481,915
1,367,407
1,234,144
current assessment level is roughly equivalent to the U.S.
IO&P
423,000
508,600
436,920
459,800
share of world gross national income. They argue that it
Sources: Annual congressional budget justifications and SFOPS bil s.
reflects U.S. commitment to the United Nations, affirms

U.S. leadership, leverages funding from other countries,
Other U.S. Funding. 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,
authorized after FY1995. From FY2001 to FY2016,
ForeignAssistance.gov reports that the United States
Congress enacted legislation to raise the cap temporarily so
contributed more than $10.4 billion to U.N. entities through
that U.S. contributions were closer to U.N. assessment
global humanitarian accounts in FY2022 (latest
levels. It did not enact an adjustment for FY2017-FY2024,
comprehensive data available), including Migration and
and the cap returned to 25%. As a result, the United States
Refugee Assistance, International Disaster Assistance, and
has accumulated over $1.1 billion in cap-related arrears.
Food for Peace, Title II (P.L. 480). Such funding supported
entities such as the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
Executive branch role. Congress does not specifically
and World Food Program. U.S. funding to U.N. entities is
appropriate funding to many U.N. bodies. Instead, it often
also provided through other accounts, including Economic
appropriates lump-sum amounts to U.N.-related accounts.
Support Fund and Global Health Programs.
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 in 2018 under restrictions in P.L. 101-
Congress intended. They suggest that Congress could
246 and P.L. 103-236. (These laws prohibit funding to U.N.
legislate funding levels for specific U.N. entities or
entities that accord the Palestine Liberation Organization
activities. At the same time, others maintain that this
the same standing as member states, or grant full
approach deviates from long-standing (and largely
membership as a state to any group that does not have the
bipartisan) practices intended to provide the executive
internationally recognized attributes of statehood.) The
branch with flexibility to respond to unpredictable
FY2023 SFOPS Act waived the above restrictions if the
circumstances (e.g., conflict, humanitarian, or health
Administration reported to Congress that doing so “would
crises).
enable the United States to counter Chinese influence or to
promote other national interests of the United States.” The
U.S. funding and U.N. reform. Congress has attempted to
waiver sunsets in September 2025 and would cease to exist
influence the United Nations by enacting legislation linking
U.S. funding to specific U.N. reforms or activities. For
if the Palestinians “obtain the same standing as member
example, it has withheld or conditioned funding to
states or full membership as a state in the [U.N.] or any
specialized agency” through means “outside an agreement
UNESCO, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians.”
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the Human Rights
In June
Council, and U.N. Secretariat activities related to the
2023, President Biden waived the aforementioned
restrictions and the United States rejoined UNESCO in
Palestinians. It has also limited U.S. payments to assessed
budgets (e.g., the 25% peacekeeping cap). Some Members
July. The Administration’s FY2025 CIO request includes
oppose such actions due to concerns that they may interfere
$75 million in assessed contributions to UNESCO and $25
million to pay a portion of accumulated arrears (see below).
with U.S. influence and standing in U.N. fora. Others
maintain that the United States should use its position as the

largest financial contributor to push for reform, in some
U.S. Arrears. The United States often accumulates arrears
to the U.N. regular budget and other U.N. bodies due to
cases by withholding U.S. funding.
differences between the U.S. and U.N. fiscal years (which
Luisa Blanchfield, Specialist in International Relations
affects the timing of U.S. payments), U.S. withholdings
from U.N. entities, and the State Department practice of
IF10354
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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 41 · UPDATED