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1 1 (January 20, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govekid0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Servic~ Informing the legisl itive debate since 1914 Updated January 20, 2023 United Nations Issues: Overview of the United Nations System The United Nations (U.N.) system comprises interconnected entities including the United Nations, specialized agencies, U.N. peacekeeping operations, funds and programs, and other related bodies. Congress has generally supported the U.N. system and mission, and often uses U.N. mechanisms to further U.S. foreign policy objectives. At the same time, some policymakers have been critical of the U.N. system, arguing that U.N. actions or decisions do not align with U.S. policy priorities, or that it is not operating as effectively as possible. U.N. entities have different mandates, structures, leadership, and funding mechanisms. Each body is funded through assessed or voluntary contributions from U.N. members (or a combination of both). Assessed contributions are required dues, the payment of which is a legal obligation accepted by a country when it becomes a member. Voluntary contributions finance special funds, programs, and offices. Some U.N. bodies receive both types of funding. The United Nations Established in the aftermath of World War II, the United Nations is an intergovernmental organization composed of 193 member states. The U.N. Charter, an international treaty to which the United States is a state party, is the founding document of the United Nations. Article 1 of the Charter states that the purposes of the organization are to maintain international peace and security; develop friendly relations among nations; solve economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian problems; and promote human rights. The United Nations includes six main parts (referred to as organs). * The 193-member General Assembly (GA) is the organization's primary decisionmaking body. It approves the U.N. regular and peacekeeping budgets and supports the work of its committees and subsidiary organs, such as the U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC). * The 15-member Security Council (SC) is mandated with maintaining international peace and security. It includes 5 permanent members with veto power (United States, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom) and 10 nonpermanent members, who are elected by the GA for two-year terms. * The Secretariat is the U.N. administrative body. It is led by the Secretary-General (SG), who serves as chief administrative officer. The SG is appointed by the GA on the recommendation of the SC. The SG serves a five- year term, with the possibility for a second term. The Secretariat is located at U.N. Headquarters in New York City. The three other principal organs are (1) the U.N. Economic and Social Council, a 54-member body that addresses economic, social, and environmental issues; (2) the International Court of Justice, the principal U.N. judicial body; and (3) the Trusteeship Council, which supervised the administration of trust territories from colonies to sovereign nations and completed its mandate in 1994. The United Nations is funded through the U.N. regular budget ($3.4 billion for 2023). The United States' assessed contribution is 22% of the regular budget (an estimated $692.5 million in U.S. FY2023). Other top contributors include China (15.25%) and Japan (8.03%). U.N. members approve assessment levels every three years based on a formula taking into account gross national income and other economic data. The United States often accumulates arrears to the regular budget due to differences between the U.S. and U.N. fiscal years (which affects the timing of U.S. payments) and U.S. withholdings from U.N. activities, among other reasons. (For more information, see CRS In Focus IF10354, United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System.) U.N Specialized Agencies The U.N. system has 15 specialized agencies, each of which is a legally independent intergovernmental organization with its own constitution, rules, membership, organs, and assessed budget (Figure 1). Many specialized agencies follow the assessments for the U.N. regular budget, while others use their own formulas. The United States is a member of all specialized agencies except for UNESCO, UNIDO, and UNWTO. (President Trump initiated WHO withdrawal in 2020; President Biden halted the process and resumed U.S. participation in 2021.) Figure I. U.N. Specialized Agencies Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) International Cvil Aviat in Org anization (ICAO) nternational Fund for Agricultural Development (lFAD) Interational Labor razation IL) International Maritime Organization (1MG) Interational Monetary Fund (IMF International Telecommunication Union iTU) * U.N. Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) * U.N. Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) I U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTIG Universal Postal Union (UPU) World Bank Group (WBG) World Health Organization (WHO Wor Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) World Meteorological Organization (WMO) e indicates the United States is not a member Source: United Nations, adapted by CRS.

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