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

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Updated July 14, 2023
United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System
The United States is the single largest financial contributor
Food and Agriculture Organization; and U.N. Educational,
to the United Nations (U.N.) system. Congress has long
Scientific, and Educational Organization (UNESCO),
debated the appropriate level of U.S. funding to U.N.
among others, are autonomous in executive, legislative, and
system activities and whether U.S. contributions are used
budgetary powers. Some agencies follow the scale of
efficiently and effectively. U.S. policymakers’ perspectives
assessment for the U.N. regular budget, while others use
on U.N. funding have varied over time. For example, the
their own formulas to determine assessments. The United
Trump Administration consistently proposed significant
States is a member of 13 of 15 U.N. specialized agencies.
decreases in U.N. funding and withheld contributions to
U.N. peacekeeping funding. There are 12 U.N.
some U.N. bodies; however, Congress funded most U.N.
peacekeeping missions worldwide with over 75,000
entities at higher levels than the Administration requested.
military, police, and civilian personnel. U.N. Security
The Biden Administration supports U.S. engagement with
Council resolutions establishing new operations specify
U.N. entities; the President’s FY2024 budget request
how each mission will be funded. In most cases, the
proposed fully funding assessed contributions to U.N.
Council authorizes the General Assembly to create a
bodies and paying selected U.S. arrears. For FY2023,
discrete account for each operation funded by assessed
Congress fully funded most U.N. entities but (as in previous
contributions; recently, the General Assembly temporarily
years) withheld or conditioned funding for certain activities.
allowed peacekeeping funding to be pooled for increased
U.N. System Funding
financial flexibility due to concerns about budget shortfalls.
The approved budget for the 2022-2023 peacekeeping fiscal
The U.N. system comprises interconnected entities
year (July 1 to June 30) is $6.45 billion. The peacekeeping
including specialized agencies, funds and programs,
scale of assessments is based on modifications of the
peacekeeping operations, and the U.N. organization itself.
regular budget scale, with the five permanent Council
The U.N. Charter, ratified by the United States in 1945,
members assessed at a higher level than for the regular
requires each member state to contribute to the expenses of
budget. The current U.S. peacekeeping assessment is
the organization. The system is financed by assessed and
26.94%; however, Congress has capped the U.S.
voluntary contributions from U.N. members. Assessed
contribution at 25%. China (18.69%) and Japan (8.03%)
contributions are required dues, the payment of which is a
have the next highest assessment rates.
legal obligation accepted by a country when it becomes a
member. Such funding provides U.N. entities with a regular
U.S. Funding
source of income to pay for staff and implement core
U.S. funding to the United Nations is authorized under the
programs. The U.N. regular budget, specialized agencies,
United Nations Participation Act of 1945 (P.L. 79-264, as
and peacekeeping operations are all financed mainly by
amended). Funding authorization for other U.N. bodies is
assessed contributions. Voluntary contributions primarily
also included in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (P.L.
finance U.N. funds and programs, such as UNICEF and the
87-195, as amended). Congress generally appropriates U.N.
U.N. Development Program, and donor commitments may
system funding through the Department of State and U.S.
fluctuate annually.
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
Selected U.N.-related funding accounts are outlined below:
U.N. General Assembly, Security Council, Secretariat,
International Court of Justice, special political missions,
• The Contributions to International Organizations (CIO)
and human rights entities. The regular budget is adopted by
account funds assessed contributions to the U.N. regular
the Assembly and covers one calendar year (January 1 to
budget, U.N. specialized agencies, and other
December 31). Most Assembly decisions related to the
international organizations (IOs). The President’s
budget are adopted by consensus. When budget votes occur
FY2024 CIO budget request is $1.70 billion ($265.8
(which is rare) decisions are made by a two-thirds majority
million more than the FY2023-enacted amount). Of this
of members present and voting, with each country having
amount, $1.18 billion is for U.N. entities, including $40
one vote. The approved regular budget for 2023 is $3.4
million to synchronize U.S. regular budget payments
billion. The Assembly determines a regular budget scale of
with the U.N. fiscal year.
assessments every three years based on a country’s capacity

to pay. (Most recently, the Assembly adopted assessment
The Contributions for International Peacekeeping
rates for the 2022-2024 period in December 2021.) The
Activities (CIPA) account funds U.S. assessments to
United States is assessed 22%, the highest of any U.N.
most U.N. peacekeeping operations. The President’s
member, followed by China (15.25%) and Japan (8.03%).
FY2024 CIPA budget request is $1.94 billion ($458.7
million more than the FY2023-enacted amount). The
U.N. Specialized Agencies. The 15 U.N. specialized
request, which would fully fund U.S. peacekeeping
agencies, which include the World Health Organization;
assessments, includes $344 million to pay a portion of
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link to page 2 United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System
U.S. arrears that accumulated since FY2017 due to the
affects the timing of U.S. payments), U.S. withholdings
25% cap.
from U.N. entities, and the State Department practice of

paying assessments on a deferred basis, causing some U.S.
The International Organizations & Programs (IO&P)
funding to be delayed by a year. (These deferrals originate
account funds mostly core voluntary contributions to
from U.N. withholdings by President Reagan.) The status of
U.N. funds and programs and other IOs such as the U.N.
Children’s Fund and U.
arrears varies by entity; each organization has its own
N. Development Program. The
process for paying, defining and tracking arrears.
FY2024 budget request is $485.8 million ($22.7 million
less than the FY2023-enacted amount).
Selected Policy Issues
Table 1. U.S. Funding: Select U.N.-Related Accounts
U.N. regular budget assessment. Over the years,
policymakers have expressed concern that current regular
(Thousands of current U.S. dol ars)
budget assessments levels result in the United States
FY2021
FY2022
FY2023
FY2024
providing the bulk of funding while having minimal

Actual
Enacted
Enacted
Request
influence on the budget process. Some have called for
CIO
1,505,928
1,662,928
1,438,000
1,703,881
increased transparency in the process for determining the
CIPA
1,456,214
1,498,614
1,481,915
1,940,702
scale of assessments. Conversely, others contend that the
current assessment level is roughly equivalent to the U.S.
IO&P
387,500a
423,000
508,600
485,850
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
a. IO&P also received $580 mil ion in FY2021 under P.L. 117-2.
U.S. leadership, leverages funding from other countries,
and helps the United States achieve its goals in U.N. fora.
Other U.S. Funding. The United States also provides
voluntary contributions to U.N. entities through other
U.S. peacekeeping assessment cap. In 1995, due to
SFOPS accounts. Congress generally appropriates overall
concerns that the U.S. peacekeeping assessment was too
funding to each of these accounts, while the executive
high (over 30%), Congress set a limit of 25% on funds
branch determines how funds are allocated based on policy
authorized after FY1995. From FY2001 to FY2016,
priorities and issue-specific needs. For example, according
Congress enacted legislation to raise the cap temporarily so
to USAID, the United States contributed more than $7.4
that U.S. contributions were closer to U.N. assessment
billion to U.N. entities through global humanitarian
levels. It did not enact an adjustment for FY2017-FY2023,
accounts in FY2022, including Migration and Refugee
and the cap returned to 25%. As a result, the United States
Assistance, International Disaster Assistance, and Food for
has accumulated $1.1 billion in cap-related arrears.
Peace, Title II (P.L. 480). Such funding supported entities
such as the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and
Executive branch role. Congress does not specifically
World Food Program. U.S. funding is also provided
appropriate funding to many U.N. bodies. Instead, it often
through accounts supporting global health, security, and
appropriates lump-sum amounts to U.N.-related accounts.
development objectives, including the Economic Support
As a result, the executive branch has some leeway to
Fund and Global Health Programs accounts.
determine how funds are allocated, often with little or no
congressional consultation. Some observers are concerned
UNESCO funding. The United States withheld over $600
that Administrations may not fund U.N. entities as
million in assessed contributions to UNESCO from FY2012
Congress intended. They suggest that Congress could
until its withdrawal in 2018 under restrictions in P.L. 101-
legislate funding levels for specific U.N. entities or
246 and P.L. 103-236. (These laws prohibit funding to U.N.
activities. At the same time, others maintain that this
entities that accord the Palestine Liberation Organization
approach deviates from long-standing (and largely
the same standing as member states, or grant full
bipartisan) practices intended to provide the executive
membership as a state to any group that does not have the
branch with flexibility to respond to unpredictable
internationally recognized attributes of statehood.) The
circumstances (e.g. conflict, humanitarian, or health crises).
FY2023 SFOPS Act waives the above restrictions if the
Administration reports to Congress that doing so “would
U.S. funding and U.N. reform. Congress has attempted to
enable the United States to counter Chinese influence or to
influence the United Nations by enacting legislation linking
promote other national interests of the United States.” The
U.S. funding to specific U.N. reforms or activities. For
waiver sunsets in September 2025 and would cease to exist
instance, it has withheld or conditioned funding to
if the Palestinians “obtain the same standing as member
UNESCO, the Human Rights Council and U.N. activities
states or full membership as a state in the [U.N.] or any
related to the Palestinians. It has also limited U.S. payments
specialized agency” through means “outside an agreement
to assessed budgets (e.g., the 25% peacekeeping cap). Some
negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians.” On June 5,
Members oppose such actions due to concerns that they
2023, President Biden waived the aforementioned
may interfere with U.S. influence and standing in U.N. fora.
restrictions and the United States rejoined UNESCO on
Others maintain that the United States should use its
July 11. The Administration states that it plans to work with
position as the largest financial contributor to push for
Congress to pay U.S. arrears to the organization.
reform, in some cases by withholding U.S. funding.

U.S. Arrears. The United States often accumulates arrears
Luisa Blanchfield, Specialist in International Relations
to the U.N. regular budget and other U.N. bodies due to
IF10354
differences between the U.S. and U.N. fiscal years (which
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United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System


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