Originally published on the CGS blog on July 10, 2014.
$1.5 billion. That was the amount of the United States’ debt to the United Nations at the beginning of the 2009 fiscal year. Of that, over $1.3 billon was for peacekeeping operations. This put the US at the top of the UN collections list.
In 2010 the US satisfied a significant portion of its debt to the UN, paying more than $500 million owed for peacekeeping and other UN operations. This was a significant feat at the time; the newly Republican House had threatened to withhold funding for the UN, which they perceived as a waste.
Why does the US’s contribution to the UN, and more specifically peacekeeping, matter?
Peacekeeping has emerged as an integral part of the UN; it is also the most scrutinized arm of the International Governmental Organization (IGO). While some of the most polarizing examples of UN peacekeeping operations are failures, such as those in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, many other peacekeeping missions have been successful.
In addition to its peacekeeping efforts, the UN also helps war-ravaged countries rebuild and close the chapter of conflict. Peacekeeping and building efforts have been instrumental in reconstructing dozens of countries around the world.
Today the UN oversees 16 peacekeeping operations around the world. As the UN continues to face new challenges in the field of peacekeeping, it is imperative that the organization continues to have the resources necessary to ensure security for the world’s citizens. The US plays a vital role in securing those resources.
Every year, Congress must pass legislation to fund the government’s operations, incuding debt and other financial obligations. Both houses of Congress recently introduced the State and Foreign Operations Bills (SFOPS) for the fiscal year 2015, which could have serious implications for peacekeeping efforts and continue the trend of the US underpaying its dues to the UN.
The House bill allocates just over $1.75 billion in base funding for the Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities; this is identical to the amount allocated for the fiscal year 2014 and almost $1 billion below what the Obama Administration asked for.
The House bill does have the potential to reallocate funds to support the current peacekeeping mission to the Central African Republic, the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the CAR (MINUSCA). Unfortunately, this is the only positive provision in the bill. (The President’s request to Congress did not include funds for MINUSCA, as the peacekeeping mission had yet to be approved by the UN Security Council).
The House bill not only severely underfunds US contributions to peacekeeping operations, but also continues an arbitrary cap on the US commitment to the UN of 25 percent; the current assessed rate for the US is 28.36 percent. This is the percentage of the UN budget that the US is responsible for.
The Senate helps to compensate for the House’s deficiencies. In addition to amending the House bill to more fully fund CIPA and lift the 25-percent cap, the Senate introduced its own version of the bill.
The Senate bill provides just over $2.5 billion for the peacekeeping CIPA account, meeting the President’s request for fiscal year 2015, as well as lifting the peacekeeping cap and allowing the US to pay its full assessed rate.
As we move into the new fiscal year, it is critical that the US continue to meet its obligations to UN peacekeeping operations. Failing to do so could put the UN at risk of forced budget cuts, leaving a lack of resources to help the most vulnerable around the world. Failing to stand as a pillar for peace, security, and human rights–this would be a true waste.
