United States Funding of the United Nations

Funding the UN: A Small Price For Peace

The United States needs to foster broad-based international cooperation to address the challenges of an increasingly complex and dangerous world.  Key issues on the international agenda make it clear that the U.S. cannot bear all the costs or risks of international peace and security—from stabilizing the Middle East, to ending the genocide in Darfur, or reaching international consensus on combating global climate change.  

The primary way in which the United States can increase engagement and cooperation at the international level is to work closely with international organizations.  Celebrating its 65th year, the United Nations has served as a pivotal mechanism for international collaboration regarding current global challenges.  For example, in 2008, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is able to provide basic immunization to 56 percent of the world’s children.  As climate change continues to be a pressing concern, the efforts of the U.N. help to alleviate the costs of developing clean and renewable energy sources through the Climate Convention.
 
It is not possible for the United States to act unilaterally in order to address the many pressing issues today such as terrorism, climate change, poverty, and peacekeeping.   One of President Obama’s FY 2010 priorities included enabling “the United States Government to…double U.S. foreign assistance by 2015.”  The primary manner through which to channel this objective is to revitalize the U.S. relationship with the United Nations.  A renewed partnership will allow the U.N. to tackle the difficult global problems we all face and bolster US diplomatic relationships.  In order to develop the relationship, the U.S. must act as a fully-engaged partner.  As Susan Rice, Ambassador to the U.N., stated, “We [the U.S.] must fulfill our financial obligations while insisting on effective accountability.”

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Debt to International Organizations The United States has continued to underfund international organizations.  In order to rectify this, Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) has increased over recent years.  The FY 2010 program saw an $85 million increase from FY 2009, and FY 2009 experienced a $123 million funding increase from FY 2008.  With the Consolidated Funding legislation, the FY 2010 budget included $1.68 billion to be distributed to 45 international organizations, including the U.N., to help address the imbalances in dues payments.  This is certainly a step in the right direction.  

Debt to International Peacekeeping U.S. funding for U.N. peacekeeping still faces challenges due to outstanding short falls, an outdated cap on U.S. contributions to U.N. peacekeeping, and a shortfall in the Administration’s existing budget for U.N. peacekeeping in FY 2010.   Although President Obama has expanded the proposals relating to foreign assistance, he must continue to fund UN peacekeeping efforts.  Without the full financial support of the United States, U.N. missions will be constrained.  

Links and Resources

U.S. Funding for the U.N. An overview from the Better World Campaign

Advocating U.S. Funding for the U.N. - The U.N. Foundation

United Nations System Funding: Congressional Issues - Congressional Research Service for the U.S. Embassy