59–010 

Calendar No. 271 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 110–130 

ENSURING PAYMENT OF UNITED STATES ASSESSMENTS 

FOR UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS 

FOR THE 2005 THROUGH 2008 TIME PERIOD 

JULY 16, 2007.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. BIDEN, from the Committee on Foreign Relations, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 392] 

The Committee on Foreign Relations, having had under consideration S. 392, a bill to ensure payment of United States assessments 

for United Nations peacekeeping operations for the 2005 through 

2008 time period, reports favorably thereon and recommends that 

the bill do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

I. Purpose ........................................................................................................... 1 

II. Legislative History and Committee Action .................................................. 1 

III. Discussion ....................................................................................................... 2 

IV. Cost Estimate ................................................................................................. 2 

V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact .................................................................. 3 

VI. Changes in Existing Law .............................................................................. 3 

I. PURPOSE

This legislation is designed to allow the United States to fully 

pay its dues to U.N. peacekeeping operations, pay arrears that 

have accumulated since January 2006, and ensure that no additional arrears accrue in 2007 and 2008. 

II. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND COMMITTEE ACTION

S. 392 was introduced by Senators Biden and Lugar on January 

25, 2007. It is cosponsored by Senators Durbin, Hagel, and 

Voinovich. On June 27, 2007, the committee ordered the bill reported favorably by voice vote. 


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III. DISCUSSION

As of January 1, 2006, the United States payments to U.N. 

peacekeeping operations may not be more than 25 percent of the 

United Nations’ peacekeeping budget, as mandated by a 1994 law 

which ‘‘capped’’ U.S. payments at this level. However, the United 

Nations assesses the United States at a rate of approximately 27 

percent. 

In recent years, Congress has amended the 1994 law on a temporary basis by raising the 25 percent limitation to approximately 

27 percent, to conform to a rate negotiated by U.S. Ambassador 

Holbrooke in 2000. However, the most recent temporary change in 

law expired on December 31, 2005 and the 25 percent cap was reinstated. Subsequently, as of June 2007, the United States was $117 

million in arrears due to the cap, and the number grows every 

month as new bills are submitted to the State Department by the 

United Nations. 

S. 392 would enable the United States to pay U.N. assessments 

at the rate assessed by the United Nations, for calendar years 

2005–2008. This would allow the United States to pay future 

peacekeeping assessments in full, and to pay the arrears that have 

accumulated since January 1, 2006. 

The United Nations currently supports fifteen peacekeeping missions worldwide in conflict areas such as Haiti, Lebanon, the 

Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire and Sudan. The 

committee believes that, at a time when the United States is seeking U.N. support for a robust mission in Darfur, and as the United 

States regularly uses its vote in the U.N. Security Council to support the continuation of these peacekeeping missions, the U.S. 

peacekeeping assessment should be paid in full. Through U.N. 

peacekeeping, the United States contributes to international peace 

and stability while sharing the human, political and financial costs 

with other nations. Accordingly, the committee believes that the 25 

percent limitation on our contribution is an anachronism for which 

a resolution is timely and appropriate. 

IV. COST ESTIMATE

In accordance with rule XXVI, paragraph 11(a) of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the committee provides this estimate of the 

costs of this legislation prepared by the Congressional Budget Office. 

UNITED STATES CONGRESS, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, Washington, DC. 

July 3, 2007. 

Hon. JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR., Chairman, 

Committee on Foreign Relations, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: 

The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost 

estimate for S. 392, a bill to ensure payment of United States assessments for United Nations peacekeeping operations for the 2005 

through 2008 time period. 


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If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Sunita D’Monte, who can 

be reached at 226–2840. 

Sincerely, 

PETER R. ORSZAG

Enclosure: 

cc: HON. RICHARD G. LUGAR, Ranking Minority Member 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

July 3, 2007. 

S. 392 

A bill to ensure payment of United States assessments for United 

Nations peacekeeping operations for the 2005 through 2008 time 

period 

AS ORDERED REPORTED BY THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN

RELATIONS ON JUNE 27, 2007

Under current law, the Department of State is prohibited from 

paying more than 25 percent of the cost of United Nations (U.N.) 

peacekeeping operations. Since the U.N. assesses the United States 

at a rate of 27.1 percent of such costs, the United States is currently in arrears on those payments. S. 392 would authorize the department to pay at the rate of 27.1 percent for assessments for 

2006, 2007, and 2008. 

Based on information from the State Department, CBO estimates 

that by raising the cap, the bill would allow the department to pay 

the U.N. an additional $157 million—$65 million for 2006 arrears, 

$48 million for the 2007 arrears, and $44 million for 2008 (the department’s request for 2008, based on the statutory cap of 25 percent, has not yet been appropriated.) CBO estimates that the department would pay the U.N. $126 million in 2008 and $31 million 

in 2009 under the bill, assuming appropriation of the necessary 

amounts and that outlays will follow historical spending patterns. 

Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or receipts. 

S. 392 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates 

as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not 

affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Sunita D’Monte, who 

can be reached at 226–2840. This estimate was approved by Peter 

H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

V. EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT

Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 11(b) of the Standing Rules 

of the Senate, the committee has determined that there is no regulatory impact as a result of this legislation. 

VI. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with Rule XXVI, paragraph 12 of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill, as 

reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted 


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is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman). 

Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 

Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 404. ASSESSED CONTRIBUTIONS FOR UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS. 

(a) REASSESSMENT OF CONTRIBUTION PERCENTAGES.— * * * 

(b) LIMITATION ON UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTIONS.—

(1) FISCAL YEARS 1994 AND 1995.— * * * 

(2) SUBSEQUENT FISCAL YEARS.—(A) IN GENERAL.— * * * 

(B) REDUCTION IN UNITED STATES SHARE OF ASSESSED CONTRIBUTIONS.—Notwithstanding the percentage limitation contained in subparagraph (A), the United States share of assessed contributions for each United Nations peacekeeping operation during the following periods is authorized to be as follows: 

(i) For assessments made during calendar year 2001, 

28.15 percent. 

(ii) For assessments made during calendar year 2002, 

27.90 percent. 

(iii) For assessments made during calendar year 2003, 

27.40 percent. 

(iv) For assessments made during calendar year 2004, 

27.40 percent. 

(v) For assessments made during calendar years 2005, 

2006, 2007, and 2008, 27.1 percent. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


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