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1 1 (April 9, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/govepum0001 and id is 1 raw text is: n i nforming the Sg sFntve debate since 1914 United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System The United States is the single largest financial contributor to the United Nations (U.N.) system. Congress has long debated the appropriate level of U.S. funding to U.N. system activities and whether U.S. contributions are used efficiently and effectively. U.S. policymakers' perspectives on U.N. funding have varied over time. For example, the Trump Administration consistently proposed significant decreases in U.N. funding and withheld contributions to some U.N. bodies; however, Congress funded most U.N. entities at higher levels than the Administration requested. The Biden Administration supports continued U.S. engagement with U.N. entities; the President's FY2025 budget request proposed fully funding most U.N. bodies and paying selected U.S. arrears. For FY2024, Congress funded most U.N. entities but (as in previous years) withheld or conditioned funding for certain activities. U.N. System Fund n The U.N. system comprises interconnected entities including specialized agencies, funds and programs, peacekeeping operations, and the U.N. organization itself. The U.N. Charter, ratified by the United States in 1945, requires each member state to contribute to the expenses of the organization. The system is financed by assessed and voluntary contributions from U.N. members. Assessed contributions are required dues, the payment of which is a legal obligation accepted by a country when it becomes a member. Such funding provides U.N. entities with a regular source of income to pay for staff and implement core programs. The U.N. regular budget, specialized agencies, and peacekeeping operations are all financed mainly by assessed contributions. Voluntary contributions primarily finance U.N. funds and programs, such as UNICEF and the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), and donor commitments may fluctuate annually. U.N. regular budget. The U.N. regular budget funds the core administrative costs of the organization, including the U.N. General Assembly, Security Council, Secretariat, International Court of Justice, special political missions, and human rights entities. The regular budget is adopted by the Assembly and covers one calendar year (January 1 to December 31). Most Assembly decisions related to the budget are adopted by consensus. When budget votes occur (which is rare) decisions are made by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting, with each country having one vote. The approved regular budget for U.N. FY2024 is $3.6 billion. The Assembly determines a regular budget scale of assessments every three years based on a country's capacity to pay. (The Assembly will likely adopt new assessment rates for the 2025-2027 period in December 2024.) The United States is currently assessed 22%, the highest of any U.N. member, followed by China (15.25%) and Japan (8.03%). Updated April 9, 2024 U.N. Specialized Agencies. The 15 U.N. specialized agencies, which include the World Health Organization; Food and Agriculture Organization; and U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Educational Organization (UNESCO), among others, are autonomous in executive, legislative, and budgetary powers. Some agencies follow the scale of assessment for the U.N. regular budget, while others use their own formulas to determine assessments. The United States is a member of 13 of 15 U.N. specialized agencies. U.N. peacekeeping funding. There are 11 U.N. peacekeeping missions worldwide with over 70,000 military, police, and civilian personnel. U.N. Security Council resolutions establishing new operations specify how each mission will be funded. In most cases, the Council authorizes the General Assembly to create a discrete account for each operation funded by assessed contributions; recently, the General Assembly temporarily allowed peacekeeping funding to be pooled for increased financial flexibility due to concerns about budget shortfalls. The approved budget for the 2023-2024 peacekeeping fiscal year (July I to June 30) is $6.1 billion. The peacekeeping scale of assessments is based on modifications of the regular budget scale, with the five permanent Council members assessed at a higher level than for the regular budget. The current U.S. peacekeeping assessment is 26.94%; however, Congress has capped the U.S. contribution at 25%. China (18.69%) and Japan (8.03%) have the next highest assessment rates. U.S. Funding U.S. funding to the United Nations is authorized under the United Nations Participation Act of 1945 (P.L. 79-264, as amended). Funding authorization for other U.N. bodies is also included in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (P.L. 87-195, as amended). Congress generally appropriates U.N. system funding through the Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) accounts in annual Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) Appropriations Acts (Table 1). Selected U.N.-related funding accounts are outlined below: * The Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) account funds assessed contributions to the U.N. regular budget, U.N. specialized agencies, and other international organizations (IOs). For FY2024, Congress provided $1.54 billion to the CIO account. The President's FY2025 CIO budget request is $1.68 billion, including funding for UNESCO (see below). * The Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account funds U.S. assessments to most U.N. peacekeeping operations. For FY2024, Congress provided $1.37 billion to the CIPA account. 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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