United Nations System Funding: Congressional Issues
Released: 2013-01-15T00:00:00

Most Recent Developments

On September 28, 2012, President Barack Obama signed H.J.Res. 117 , "making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2013" ( P.L. 112-175 ), which extended through March 27, 2013, spending levels "at a rate for operations as provided in the applicable appropriations Acts for fiscal year 2012 and under the authority and conditions provided in such Acts."

On February 13, 2012, the President had transmitted the FY2013 budget to Congress. The request included

$1,570,005,000 for the Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) account, Department of State, including $1,151,478,000 for U.S. assessed contributions to United Nations (U.N.) system budgets; $2,098,500,000 for the Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account, Department of State; and $327,300,000 for the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account, Foreign Operations, which includes voluntary contributions to several U.N. system programs.

The President requested, through the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (NADR) account, Foreign Operations, $90,900,000 for U.S. voluntary contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This account also includes a request for $1,350,000 in U.S. voluntary contributions to the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540 [(2004)] Trust Fund.

Current Funding Information

Introduction

The United States has been, and remains, the single largest financial contributor to the United Nations (U.N.) system. For calendar year (CY) 2007, U.S. contributions to the U.N. system totaled just over $4.8 billion. This included

more than $895,982,000 in assessed contributions to the regular budgets of the United Nations and its specialized agencies; $96,414,194 in assessed contributions to the two war crimes tribunals; $1,266,129,767 in assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping operations; and $2,560,429,000 in voluntary contributions to U.N. system special programs and funds.

In recent years, however, Congress has been pressing to reduce U.S. funding for many U.N. system programs. Congressional debate over U.N. funding has focused on several questions: (1) What is the appropriate level of U.S. funding for U.N. system operations and programs? (2) What U.S. funding actions are most likely to produce a positive continuation of U.N. system reform efforts? and (3) What is the status of U.S. accumulated arrearages?

This report tracks the process by which Congress provides the funding for U.S. assessed contributions to the regular budgets of the United Nations, its agencies, and U.N. peacekeeping operation accounts as well for U.S. voluntary contributions to U.N. system programs and funds. It includes information on the President's request and the congressional response as well as congressional initiatives during this legislative process. Basic information is provided to help the reader understand this process.

U.N. System Financing: Brief Overview

The United Nations (U.N.) system is made up of variously interconnected components including specialized agencies, voluntary funds and programs, peacekeeping operations, and the U.N. organization itself. The system is financed by contributions from member and/or participant states. The contributions are usually made in two ways: assessed contributions—required "dues" at percentages established by the membership of each organization involved—and voluntary contributions, which represent more than half of the total aggregated funds received by the U.N. system.

Assessed Contributions

Assessed contributions finance the regular budgets of the United Nations, the specialized agencies, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Payment of the assessed contribution is one of the legal obligations accepted by a country when it joins the organization. In this way, the organization has a regular source of income for staffing and implementation of authorized programs. Most U.N. peacekeeping operations are funded through special assessed accounts created by the U.N. General Assembly.

U.S. assessed contributions are funded from the State Department's budget. Congress authorizes these funds as part of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act and currently appropriates the money in the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations legislation. The regular assessed budgets of U.N. system organizations as well as regional and other non-U.N. intergovernmental organizations are included in the Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) account, while assessed peacekeeping contributions are funded in the Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account.

Voluntary Contributions

Voluntary contributions finance special programs and offices created by the U.N. system, such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the U.N. Democracy Fund (UNDEF). Payment of these contributions is entirely up to each individual country; no country is legally obliged to contribute to these programs.

U.S. voluntary contributions are financed through the foreign assistance authorization and appropriation legislation, primarily through the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account of what was formerly the Foreign Operations Act. This IO&P account does not fund U.S. voluntary contributions to the

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which are funded through the Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) account, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is funded through the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (NADR) account, Foreign Operations, or World Food Program.

Current U.S. Funding

FY2013 Funding

Summary

On February 13, 2012, President Barack Obama transmitted the FY2013 budget to Congress. The request included

$1,570,005,000 for the Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) account, Department of State, including $1,151,478,000 for U.S. assessed contributions to United Nations (U.N.) system budgets; $2,098,500,000 for the Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account, Department of State; $327,300,000 for the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account, Foreign Operations, which includes voluntary contributions to several U.N. system programs; and $90,900,000 for U.S. voluntary contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), through the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (NADR) account, Foreign Operations. This account also includes a request for $1,350,000 in U.S. voluntary contributions to the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540 [(2004)] Trust Fund.

On May 24, 2012, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported S. 3241 , the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2013. The committee recommended

$1,389,737,000 for the CIO account, with no funding for assessed contributions to UNESCO; $2,006,500,000 for the CIPA account, without $142,100,000 for assessed peacekeeping in Somalia which was moved to the PKO account; and $375,000,000 for the IO&P account, with a table breaking out the specific committee recommendations for each program.

The OCO account included $101,300,000 for the CIO account for U.N. support to Afghanistan and Iraq.

On May 25, 2012, the House Appropriations Committee reported H.R. 5857 , the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill, 2013. The committee recommended

$1,310,769,000 for the CIO account, with no funding for U.S. assessed contributions for UNESCO; $1,828,182,000 for the CIPA account, moving funding (an unspecified amount) for assessed contributions to the U.N. logistics and support package for the AU Mission in Somalia to the PKO account; and $276,500,000 for the IO&P account, including $131,755,000 for UNICEF but no funds for U.S. voluntary contributions to UNFPA, the IPCC/UNFCCC, and to UNESCO.

Language requested to increase the peacekeeping assessment cap from 25% to 27.2% was not included. Title VIII, the OCO account, included $101,300,000 for the CIO account for support of contingency operations in Afghanistan and Iraq (UNAMA and UNAMI). This had not been included in the OCO request.

On September 28, 2012, the President signed H.J.Res. 117 , "making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2013" ( P.L. 112-175 ), which extended through March 27, 2013, funding for FY2013 at a rate for operations as provided in the applicable appropriations acts for FY2012.

Assessed Contributions

On February 13, 2012, President Obama requested $1,570,400,000 for payment of U.S. assessed contributions (CIO account) to the 43 international (including regional) intergovernmental organizations to which the United States belongs. The CIO account request included the following amounts for the United Nations:

United Nations regular budget: $567,931,000; U.N. Capital Master Plan (CMP): $0; U.N. War Crimes Tribunal—Yugoslavia: $16,354,000; and U.N. War Crimes Tribunal—Rwanda: $11,949,000.

The aggregated total for this category is $596,234,000. The amount requested for U.S. assessed contributions to the regular budgets of 11 other separate U.N. system specialized agencies was $555,244,000.

The entire CIO account did not include, under Other International Organizations, payments previously provided for U.S. assessed to four organizations not related to the U.N. system. Two are proposed contributions to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), bodies created by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea that the United States is not a party to. In addition, contributions to the International Bureau of the Publication of Customs Tariffs and to the International Rubber Study Group were deleted.

Voluntary Contributions

For FY2013, the President requested

$327,300,000 for the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account, to fund U.S. voluntary contributions to U.N. system programs and those of other organizations, including $125,000,000 for UNICEF, $67,181,000 for the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), and $39,000,000 for the UNFPA; $90,000,000 for U.S. voluntary contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (NADR) account. This account also includes a request for $1,350,000 in U.S. voluntary contributions to the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540 [(2004)] Trust Fund.

The IO&P account included $7,900,000 for U.S. contributions to UN Women, the U.N. Entity for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, operational since January 1, 2011. UN Women consolidated a number of programs, including UNIFEM, and entities into one agency.

Peacekeeping Accounts

On February 13, 2012, the President requested for FY2013, $2,098,500,000 to pay U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping operations, in the State Department's Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account. It compares with $1,883,931,000 actual funding for FY2011. The FY2013 request included $42,122,000 for the two international war crimes tribunals (Yugoslavia and Rwanda) that are not peacekeeping operations. It also included $100,000,000 in new funding for Mission Monitoring/Effectiveness Support, to enable U.S. program officers to travel to U.N. peacekeeping operations at least once a year to review mission budgets and effectiveness.

The State Department included the following language on the peacekeeping assessment cap in its request for legislative language:

Section 404 (b)(2)(B) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (22 U.S.C. 287e note) is amended by adding the following at the end: "(vii) for assessments made during calendar years 2011, 2012, and 2013, 27.2 percent".

FY2012 Funding

Summary

On February 14, 2011, President Barack Obama transmitted the FY2012 budget to Congress. The request included

$1,619,400,000 for the Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) account, Department of State, including $1,227,136,000 for U.S. assessed contributions to United Nations (U.N.) system budgets; $1,920,000,000 for the Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account, Department of State; $348,705,000 for the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account, Foreign Operations, which includes voluntary contributions to several U.N. system programs; and $85,900,000 for U.S. voluntary contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), through the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (NADR) account, Foreign Operations. This account also includes a request for $1,500,000 in U.S. voluntary contributions to the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540 [(2004)] Trust Fund.

On December 23, 2011, the President signed H.R. 2055 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 ( P.L. 112-74 ), Division I [eye] of which was the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2012. Included in Division I were the following:

$1,449,700,000 for the CIO account; $1,828,182,000 for the CIPA account; $348,705,000 for the IO&P account; and $590,113,000 for the NADR account.

According to a table in the conference report for the NADR account, $85,900,000 was for U.S. voluntary contributions to the IAEA and $1,500,000 was for U.S. voluntary contributions to the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004) Trust Fund. These were the amounts requested. A separate table in the conference report dealt with the IO&P account; in response to the action of the UNESCO General Conference admitting Palestine to membership in the organization, the amount for UNESCO related programs was reduced to zero (International Contributions for Scientific, Educational, and Cultural Activities).

In addition, Congress included in the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations funds for CIO account U.N. regular budget contributions in a new account, the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) account. For the first time, the Administration divided the FY2012 International Affairs request into two parts: the "core" budget request reflecting "enduring" needs, and the OCO account, described as extraordinary, temporary costs in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. That account, as enacted by Congress, included "an additional amount for "Contributions to International Organizations", $101,300,000." That amount would fund the U.S. assessed contribution to the portion of the U.N. regular budget that is directed for two U.N. political missions: the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)—$57,000,000—and the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)—$44,300,000.

Assessed Contributions

On February 14, 2011, President Obama requested $1,619,400,000 for payment of U.S. assessed contributions (CIO account) to the 43 international (including regional) intergovernmental organizations to which the United States belongs. The CIO account request included the following amounts for the United Nations:

United Nations regular budget: $568,759,000; U.N. Capital Master Plan (CMP): $75,535,000; U.N. War Crimes Tribunal—Yugoslavia: $19,275,000; and U.N. War Crimes Tribunal—Rwanda: $14,867,000.

The aggregated total for this category is $678,436,000. The amount requested for U.S. assessed contributions to the regular budgets of 11 other separate U.N. system specialized agencies was $548,700,000.

The entire CIO account did not include, under Other International Organizations, payments previously provided for U.S. assessed to four organizations not related to the U.N. system. Two are proposed contributions to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), bodies created by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea that the United States is not a party to. In addition, contributions to the International Bureau of the Publication of Customs Tariffs and to the International Rubber Study Group were deleted.

On December 23, 2011, the President signed H.R. 2055 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 ( P.L. 112-74 ), Division I [eye] of which was the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2012. Included in Division I was $1,449,700,000 for the CIO account and a number of instructions for the State Department, as follows:

The conferees directed the Secretary of State to report to the Committees on Appropriations, not later than 90 days after enactment, "on the current status of the United Nations Capital Master Plan, including its initial scope and costs, any modifications made or planned, and the total contributions made to date by each United Nations (UN) member state." The conferees further directed the Secretary of State to "conduct a review of" U.S. membership "in each international organization supported by this account and prioritize" the U.S. "participation in, and funding for, each organization in accordance with" U.S. "policy goals. The review should also include any reforms the organizations have taken to increase transparency and accountability. The conferees direct the Secretary to provide the results of the review not later than 120 days after enactment." The conferees directed the U.S. Mission to the United Nations and the Department of State to "continue to advocate for an independent Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) to improve internal controls, efficiency, and effectiveness of the United Nations Transparency and Accountability Initiative a priority, and to provide updates in the congressional budget justification for fiscal year 2013 and on the Web site." The conferees expected the State Department to "continue to submit a report to the Appropriations Committees on voting practices in the United Nations." "Section 7078 of this Act requires the Secretary of State to submit to the Committees on Appropriations an operating plan for funds appropriated under this heading. The operating plan should include each international organization funded, a notation of any exchange rate fluctuations that occurred since such estimates were calculated for the congressional budget justification for fiscal year 2012, and a description of any Tax Equalization Fund credits applied."

In addition, Congress included in the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations funds for CIO account U.N. regular budget contributions in a new account, the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) account. For the first time, the Administration divided the FY2012 International Affairs request into two parts: the "core" budget request reflecting "enduring" needs, and the OCO account, described as extraordinary, temporary costs in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. That account, as enacted by Congress, included "an additional amount for "Contributions to International Organizations", $101,300,000." That amount would fund the U.S. assessed contribution to the portion of the U.N. regular budget that is directed for two U.N. political missions: the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)—$57,000,000—and the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)—$44,300,000.

Voluntary Contributions

For FY2012, the President requested

$348,705,000 for the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account, to fund U.S. voluntary contributions to U.N. system programs and those of other organizations, including $126,600,000 for UNICEF, $71,535,000 for the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), and $47,500,000 for the UNFPA; $85,900,000 for U.S. voluntary contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (NADR) account. This account also includes a request for $1,500,000 in U.S. voluntary contributions to the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540 [(2004)] Trust Fund.

Nothing was requested in the IO&P account for U.S. voluntary contributions to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) nor for the UNIFEM Trust Fund. However, $8,000,000 was included in the IO&P account for U.S. contributions to UN Women, the U.N. Entity for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, operational since January 1, 2011. UN Women consolidated a number of programs, including UNIFEM, and entities into one agency.

On December 23, 2011, the President signed H.R. 2055 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 ( P.L. 112-74 ), Division I [eye] of which was the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2012. Included in Division I for the IO&P account was $348,705,000 and for the NADR account, $590,113,000. According to a table in the conference report, the conferees provided $85,900,000 for U.S. IAEA Voluntary Contributions and $1,500,000 for a voluntary contribution to the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540 Trust Fund. A table in the conference report for the IO&P account provided for the allocation of funds in this account. They included

U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF): $131,755,000 U.N. Development Program (UNDP): $82,000,000; U.N. Environment Program (UNEP): $7,700,000; U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights: $5,000,000; U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA): $35,000,000; U.N. Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture: $6,000,000; and U.N. Women: $7,500,000.

Funding for International Contributions for Scientific, Educational, and Cultural Activities, which would go to UNESCO, was "zeroed" out.

Peacekeeping Accounts

On February 14, 2011, the President requested for FY2012, $1,920,000,000 to pay U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping operations, in the State Department's Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account. It compares with $2,845,870,000 actual for FY2010. The FY2012 request included $37,972,000 for the two international war crimes tribunals (Yugoslavia and Rwanda) that are not peacekeeping operations. The State Department also requested amendment of Section 404(b)(2)(B) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 ( P.L. 103-236 ) (22 U.S.C. 287e note) by adding the following language: "(vii) for assessment made during calendar year 2012, 27.2 percent."

On December 23, 2011, the President signed H.R. 2055 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 ( P.L. 112-74 ), Division I [eye] of which was the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2012. Included in Division I was $1,828,182,000 for the CIPA account and a few instructions for the State Department, as follows:

The conferees expect the State Department and USUN to evaluate and prioritize peacekeeping missions, and consider phase-out and withdrawal when mission goals have been substantially achieved; The conferees direct the Department of State to ensure that OIOS conducts oversight of UN peacekeeping missions; The conference agreement includes language in section 7078 requiring an operation plan for this account not later than 30 days after enactment of this Act. The conferees expect the operating plan to include each peacekeeping mission funded and a description of any credits applied.

Also included was the following language relating to amendment of the peacekeeping assessment cap:

Provided further , That notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds appropriated or otherwise made available under this heading shall be available for United States assessed contributions up to the amount specified in Annex IV accompanying United Nations General Assembly Resolution [document] 64/220: Provided further , That such funds may be made available above the amount authorized in section 404(b)(2)(B) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, fiscal years 1994 and 1995 (22 U.S.C. 287e note) only if the Secretary of State determines and reports to the Committees on Appropriations, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate that it is important to the national interest of the United States [125 STAT. 1169]

The peacekeeping account assessment for the United States, as set forth in U.N. document A/64/220/Add.1, is as follows:

Calendar Year 2010: 27.1743 Calendar Years 2011 and 2012: 27.1415.

FY2011 Funding

Summary

On February 1, 2010, President Obama transmitted the FY2011 budget to Congress. The request included

$1,595,430,000 for the Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) account, Department of State, including $1,183,032,000 for U.S. assessed contributions to United Nations (U.N.) system budgets; $2,182,300,000 for the Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account, Department of State; $350,550,000 for the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account, Foreign Operations, which includes voluntary contributions to several U.N. system programs; and $79,500,000 for U.S. voluntary contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), through the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (NADR) account, Foreign Operations.

On June 30, 2010, the House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs reported its recommendations to the full House Appropriations Committee. They included

$1,595,430,000 for the CIO account, $2,126,382,000 for the CIPA account, and $398,000,000 for the IO&P account.

The full committee did not report a bill.

On July 29, 2010, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported S. 3676 , the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill, 2011, recommending

$1,575,430,000 for the CIO account, $2,126,382,000 for the CIPA account, $397,000,000 for the IO&P account, and $79,500,000 for voluntary contributions to the IAEA, in the NADR account.

On April 14, 2011, Congress passed and sent to the President H.R. 1473 , the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011. It provided

$1,581,815,000 for the CIO account, $1,887,706,000 for the CIPA account, $355,000,000 for the IO&P account, and $740,000,000 for the NADR account, that included voluntary contributions to the IAEA.

On March 24, 2010, President Obama requested in a FY2010 supplemental additional funding in the CIPA account for U.S. assessed contributions to the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti (see below under " Peacekeeping Accounts "). On July 29, 2010, the President signed into law H.R. 4899 , the Supplemental appropriations Act, 2010, with the funding request for or related to MINUSTAH intact ( P.L. 111-212 ).

Assessed Contributions

On February 1, 2010, President Obama requested $1,595,430,000 for payment of U.S. assessed contributions (CIO account) to the 45 international (including regional) intergovernmental organizations to which the United States belongs. The CIO account request included the following amounts for the United Nations:

United Nations regular budget: $516,314,000; U.N. Capital Master Plan (CMP): $75,535,000; U.N. War Crimes Tribunal—Yugoslavia: $17,343,000; and U.N. War Crimes Tribunal—Rwanda: $13,399,000.

The aggregated total for this category is $622,592,000. The amount requested for U.S. assessed contributions to the regular budgets of 11 other separate U.N. system specialized agencies was $560,440,000. The amount requested for U.S. contributions specifically to the U.N. regular budget is less than for the previous year, in spite of the fact that the U.N. General Assembly in December 2009 adopted a U.N. regular budget for the biennium 2010-2011 that "reflects a 5.5% increase." According to the State Department, the net decrease is attributed to an "offset by a one-time reduction in member assessments due to the application of credits resulting from the UN having spent less than was budgeted in previous biennia."

The CIO account included under Other International Organizations, proposed U.S. contributions to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), two bodies created by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea that the United States is not a party to. In addition, funding ($5,000,000) was requested for proposed U.S. contributions to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), a new international organization that the United States anticipated becoming a member of in FY2011.

The CIO account also included $22,812,000 for reimbursements to U.S. citizens who have paid income taxes to the United States in the course of working in international organizations. The President did not request funding for synchronization of deferred payments. The State Department CBJ FY2011 notes that $46,451,000 had been enacted in the FY2010 appropriation for this purpose.

On June 30, 2010, the House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs reported its recommendations to the full House Appropriations Committee. They included $1,595,430,000 for the CIO account. The full committee did not report a bill. On July 29, 2010, the Senate Committee on Appropriations reported S. 3676 , the State Department, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill, 2011, recommending $1,575,430,000 for the CIO account; this was $20 million below the President's request.

On April 14, 2011, Congress passed and sent to the President the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011. Title XI in Division B of the Act dealt with Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs and provided $1,581,815,000 for the CIO account.

Voluntary Contributions

For FY2011, the President requested

$350,550,000 for the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account, to fund U.S. voluntary contributions to U.N. system programs and those of other organizations, including $128,000,000 for UNICEF and $75,300,000 for the U.N. Development Program (UNDP); $50,000,000 for U.S. contributions to the UNFPA; $79,500,000 for U.S. voluntary contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (NADR) account; and $6,000,000 for the U.N. Development Fund for Women.

Nothing was requested for U.S. voluntary contributions to the UNIFEM Trust Fund nor for U.S. voluntary contributions to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR).

On June 30, 2010, the House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs reported its recommendations to the full House Appropriations Committee. They included $398,000,000 for the IO&P account. The full committee has not reported a bill. On July 29, 2010, the Senate Committee on Appropriations reported S. 3676 , the State Department, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill, 2011, recommending $397,000,000 for the IO&P account, $46,450,000 over the President's request. Included in the committee's recommendation was

$134,000,000 for the U.N. Children's Fund-UNICEF ($6 million over the request); $93,000,000 for the U.N. Development Program-UNDP ($17,700,000 over); $11,550,000 for the U.N. Environment Program-UNEP ($3,850,000 over); $55,000,000 for the U.N. Population Fund-UNFPA ($5,000,000 over); and $7,500,000 in funds for the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The committee recommended $79,500,000 for U.S. voluntary contributions to the IAEA, as requested, in the NADR account.

On April 14, 2011, Congress passed and sent to the President the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011. Title XI of Division B, Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, provided $355,000,000 for the IO&P account and $740,000,000 for the NADR account, that included voluntary contributions to the IAEA.

Peacekeeping Accounts

On February 1, 2010, the President requested for FY2011, $2,182,300,000 to pay U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping operations, in the State Department's Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account. It compares with $2,125,000,000 enacted for FY2010 ($57,300,000 over the amount enacted for FY2010). The FY2011 request included $37,972,000 for the two international war crimes tribunals (Yugoslavia and Rwanda) that are not peacekeeping operations.

On June 30, 2010, the House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs reported its recommendations to the full House Appropriations Committee. They included $2,126,382,000 for the CIPA account. The full committee has not reported a bill. On July 29, 2010, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported S. 3676 , the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill, 2011, recommending $2,126,382,000 for the CIPA account. This was $55,918,000 below the President's request, which had included that amount to finance U.S. assessed contributions to the U.N. Support to the African Union Mission in Somalia (UNSOA). This amount was transferred to the Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) account to cover such assessed payments. Section 7047 (b) of S. 3676 sets the peacekeeping assessment cap for assessments received by the United States in calendar years 2010 and 2011 at 27.3%.

On April 14, 2011, Congress passed and sent to the President H.R. 1473 , the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011. Title XI of Division B, Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, provided $1,887,706,000 for the CIPA account. Section 2120 (b)(1) added further provisions relating to the CIPA account funding:

That the Secretary of State should work with the United Nations and governments contributing peacekeeping troops to develop effective vetting procedures to ensure that such troops have not violated human rights; That notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds provided under the heading "International Organizations, Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities" shall be available for United States assessed contributions up to the amount specified in Annex IV accompanying United Nations General Assembly Resolution 64/220; That such funds may be made available only if the Secretary of State determines that it is in the national interest of the United States.

President Obama's March 24, 2010, FY2010 supplemental request for funding costs associated with relief and reconstruction support for Haiti following the January 12, 2010, earthquake included $96,500,000 to finance additional assessed U.S. contributions to the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the U.N. peacekeeping operation in Haiti, through the State Department's CIPA account. Immediately following the earthquake, the U.N. Security Council had increased force levels for MINUSTAH. The FY2010 supplemental budget request also included, under Foreign Operations, in the International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement Affairs (INCLE) account, $45,000,000 to support U.S. personnel to MINUSTAH, adding 30 police advisers and five corrections advisers. These funds would increase the U.S. totals to MINUSTAH to 91: 80 police, 10 corrections officers, and one drug specialist. On July 29, 2010, the President signed H.R. 4899 , the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010, with the funding requested for or related to MINUSTAH intact ( P.L. 111-212 ).

FY2010 Funding

Summary

On May 7, 2009, President Barack Obama transmitted to Congress the FY2010 budget. This included

$1,797,000,000 to finance U.S. assessed contributions in the Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) account; $2,260,000,000 to finance U.S. assessed contributions in the Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account; $356,550,000 to fund U.S. voluntary contributions in the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account; and $65,000,000 in the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (NADR) account to finance U.S. voluntary contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

On June 26, 2009, the House Committee on Appropriations reported H.R. 3081 , the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Appropriations Act, 2010, recommending

$1,697,000,000 for the CIO account, $395,091,000 for the IO&P account, $65,000,000 for IAEA in the NADR account, and $2,125,000,000 for the CIPA account.

The House passed H.R. 3081 on July 9, 2009. On that same day, the Senate Committee on Appropriations reported S. 1434 , the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Appropriations Act, 2010, recommending

$1,697,000,000 for the CIO account, $393,000,000 for the IO&P account, $65,000,000 for IAEA in the NADR account, and $2,125,000,000 for the CIPA account.

On October 1, 2009, the President signed into law a continuing resolution within the Legislative Branch FY2010 appropriations bill ( H.R. 2918 / P.L. 111-68 ) that provided funding through October 31, 2009, for those agencies for which an appropriations bill had not be enacted. On October 30, 2009, a second resolution, in the Interior FY2010 appropriations bill ( H.R. 2996 / P.L. 111-88 ) was signed, continuing funding for the State Department and Foreign Operations agencies and programs, among others, through December 18, 2009. (See Appendix B for a chronology of major actions in 2008 and 2009 relating to U.S. funding for the U.N. system.)

On December 16, 2009, the President signed into law H.R. 3288 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 ( P.L. 111-117 ), Division F of which was the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2010. This act provided

$1,682,500,000 for the CIO account; $2,125,000,000 for the CIPA account; $65,000,000 for voluntary contributions to the IAEA (NADR account); $394,000,000 to the IO&P account; and $331,500,000 to the PKO account.

Assessed Contributions

On May 7, 2009, President Obama requested $1,797,000,000 for payment of U.S. assessed contributions (CIO account) to the 45 international (including regional) intergovernmental organizations to which the United States belongs. The CIO account request included the following amounts for the United Nations:

United Nations regular budget: $597,542,000 U.N. Capital Master Plan (CMP): $75,535,000 U.N. War Crimes Tribunal—Yugoslavia: $22,255,000 U.N. War Crimes Tribunal—Rwanda: $18,624,000

The aggregated total for this category is $713,956,000. The amount requested for U.S. assessed contributions to the regular budgets of 11 other separate U.N. system specialized agencies was $519,998,000.

The CIO account included, under Other International Organizations, proposed U.S. contributions to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), two bodies created by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea that the United States is not a party to. The CIO account request also included $20 million for reimbursing U.S. citizens who have paid income taxes while working at international organizations and $175 million to begin synchronizing payments to international organizations where the United States has been chronically late in paying its assessments.

On June 26, 2009, the House Appropriations Committee reported H.R. 3081 , the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Appropriations Act, 2010, recommending $1,697,000,000 for the CIO account, which is $100,000,000 less than the President's request. The committee provided $75,049,000 for synchronization of deferred payments and requested that the State Department provide a report not later than 45 days after enactment on the status of deferred payments for each organization funded in the CIO account. The committee "encouraged" the department to allocate funding provided for synchronization to "organizations whose missions are critical to protecting United States national security interests, including NATO, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the IAEA, and PAHO [Pan American Health Organization]."

The committee "continues to insist on reform and budget discipline as a priority for all of the international organizations for which the United States is a participant," and "directs the Department to refrain from entering into new commitments without a commensurate increase in resources." On United Nations reform, the committee "continues to encourage the Department of State and the United States Mission to the UN to keep all aspects of UN reform high on the agenda.... The Committee strongly encourages continued support for an independent OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services] to improve internal controls, efficiency and effectiveness of the UN." The committee also expressed its concern "that the representation of Americans in UN posts, in relation to geographic distribution, has remained relatively flat since 2001." The House passed H.R. 3081 on July 9, 2009.

On July 9, 2009, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported S. 1434 , the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Appropriations Act, 2010, recommending $1,697,000,000 for the CIO account, $100,000,000 below the President's request. The committee noted that while it did not provide full funding, it supported the goal of synchronization, "particularly for organizations that are important to U.S. security interests, such as NATO, the IAEA, and the OPCW."

On December 16, 2009, the President signed H.R. 3288 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, Division F of which was the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2010. Congress provided $1,682,500,000 for U.S. contributions to international organizations (the CIO account), $14,500,000 below what the House and Senate had provided and $114,500,000 below the President's request. Neither the law nor the conference report included an agency breakdown of funding. The conferees did not include a Senate provision directing the Secretary of State to "prioritize synchronization payments to international organizations that are important to the security interests of the United States. However, the conferees endorse[d] language in the House Report requiring a report on the status of United States deferred payments to international organizations." The conferees also required the State Department to "provide a new report … on resolutions adopted in the UN Human Rights Council" (see Section 7052).

Voluntary Contributions

For FY2010, the President requested $356,550,000 for the International Organizations and Programs Account (IO&P), to fund U.S. voluntary contributions to U.N. system programs and those of other organizations. This request included $128,000,000 for UNICEF and $75,300,000 for the U.N. Development Program (UNDP). He also requested, through the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (NADR) account of the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs appropriations, $65 million for U.S. voluntary contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

On June 26, 2009, the House Appropriations Committee, in reporting H.R. 3081 , recommended $395,091,000 for the IO&P account, an increase of $38,541,000 over the FY2010 request of $356,550,000. The increase included $132,000,000 for UNICEF and $100,000,000 for UNDP, $24,700,000 over the President's request for UNDP. The committee recommended IAEA voluntary contributions in the NADR account at the requested level. On July 9, 2009, the House passed H.R. 3081 .

On July 9, 2009, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported S. 1434 , the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Appropriations Act, 2010, recommending $393,000,000 for the IO&P account. This was $36,450,000 over the President's request. The committee included $132,500,000 for U.S. contributions to UNICEF and $101,000,000 for U.S. contributions to UNDP. The committee recommended $65,000,000 as requested for U.S. voluntary contributions to the IAEA, through the NADR account.

On December 16, 2009, the President signed H.R. 3288 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, Division F of which was the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2010. Congress provided $394,000,000 in the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account. This was $1,091,000 below the House proposal and $1,000,000 above the Senate recommendation. A table in the conference statement included $132,250,000 for UNICEF; $100,500,000 for the U.N. Development Program; and $55,000,000 for the U.N. Population Fund. Congress included in the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related Programs (NADR) account, $65,000,000 for U.S. voluntary contributions to the IAEA.

Peacekeeping Accounts

On May 7, 2009, the President requested for FY2010, $2,260,000,000 to pay U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping operations, in the State Department's Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account. This request included $46,233,000 for the two international war crimes tribunals (Yugoslavia and Rwanda) that are not peacekeeping operations. It also included $135,100,000 for U.S. assessed contributions to a special assessed account created by the U.N. General Assembly to support the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

On June 26, 2009, the House Appropriations Committee recommended $2,125,000,000 for the CIPA account; this was $135,000,000 lower than the request. The committee decided that most of the funds requested for the U.S. assessment to the U.N. logistical support package for Somalia ($135,000,000 of the requested $135,100,000) be funded from the PKO account, used normally for voluntary contributions. The committee provided $102,000,000 in the PKO account for assistance for Somalia, including $55,000,000 to be used to pay assessed expenses. The committee urged the Department to "give priority funding consideration" for the U.N. peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic and Chad (UNMURCAT) and the Congo (MONUC) "during allocation of resources." The committee directed the State Department "to provide the necessary support to ensure that OIOS [U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services] oversight is systemically brought to bear on every UN peacekeeping mission, including through the presence of resident auditors. The committee directs the Department of State to request a performance report on the efforts of this office to root out the causes of "waste, fraud, and abuse." In addition, the committee stresses "that the UN needs to press troop contributing countries to seek justice" against those U.N. peacekeepers found to commit trafficking in persons and illegal sexual exploitation. Finally, on the issue of the 25% cap on peacekeeping assessments, the committee included a provision adjusting the level of U.S. assessments for peacekeeping during calendar year 2010 from 25.0% to 27.1%. The committee did not include the request increase for calendar year 2011, instead encouraging the Department to "negotiate a lower assessment." The House passed H.R. 3081 on July 9, 2009.

On July 9, 2009, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported S. 1434 , Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Appropriations Act, 2010, recommending $2,125,000,000 for the CIPA account. This was $135,000,000 below the President's request. The committee moved the funding requested for the logistics support package for Somalia, "with modifications" to the PKO account. The committee, in the PKO account, recommended up to $102,000,000 for peacekeeping activities in Somalia, "of which up to $55,000,000 is for United Nations assessed costs."

On December 16, 2009, the President signed H.R. 3288 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, Division F of which was the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2010. Congress provided $2,125,000,000 for the CIPA account, of which 15% shall remain available until September 30, 2011. The conferees support the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) to "identify waste, fraud and abuse, including sexual abuse in peacekeeping operations, and to recommend corrective action and reform. The conferees direct the Department of State to work to ensure that the OIOS has sufficient resources to carry out its mandate." The conference agreement, in Section 7051 on the Peacekeeping Assessment, includes a provision that amends Section 404 (b)(2)(B) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995, by adding that the cap on peacekeeping assessments made during calendar year 2010 is set at 27.3%. In addition, the PKO account included funding for peacekeeping activities in Somalia already proposed by the House and Senate.

FY2009 Funding

Summary

On March 11, 2009, President Obama signed H.R. 1105 , the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 ( P.L. 111-8 ). Division H of the act was the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act and included funding for U.S. contributions to the U.N. system in the CIO, CIPA, IO&P, and NADR accounts. CIO account funding totaled $1,529,400,000, in addition to the $75,000,000 appropriated for FY2009 in P.L. 110-252 . CIPA account funding totaled $1,517,000,000, in addition to the $150,500,000 appropriated for FY2009 in P.L. 110-252 . Funding for the IO&P account totaled $352,500,000. A table in the joint explanatory statement provides a program breakdown of the allocations. (See Appendix B for a chronology of major actions in 2008 and 2009 relating to U.S. funding for the U.N. system.)

Assessed Contributions

On February 4, 2008, President Bush requested $1,529,400,000 for payment of U.S. assessed contributions (CIO account) to the 45 international (including regional) intergovernmental organizations to which the United States belongs. The CIO account request for FY2009 included the following amounts for the United Nations:

United Nations regular budget: $452,500,000 U.N. Capital Master Plan (CMP): $75,535,000 U.N. War Crimes Tribunal—Yugoslavia: $21,571,000 U.N. War Crimes Tribunal—Rwanda: $14,967,000

The aggregated total for this category was $564,573,000. The amount requested for U.S. assessed contributions to the regular budgets of 11 other separate U.N. system specialized agencies was $522,517,000. On May 2, 2008, President Bush requested, in an amendment to the FY2009 budget, an additional amount of $40,000,000 for the CIO account, to fund U.S. contributions for the costs of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) [$10,000,000] and the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) [$30,000,000], both of which are special political missions financed from the U.N. regular budget.

On July 18, 2008, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported S. 3288 , the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill, 2009. The committee recommended the appropriation of $1,529,400,000 for the CIO account, as requested by President Bush, and in addition to the $75,000,000 already appropriated in P.L. 110-252 , in Bridge Funding for FY2009. The committee "directs OMB to request sufficient funds to pay annual U.S. assessed dues and any accumulated arrears to international organizations and encourages the Department of State to evaluate the benefit of U.S. membership on an annual basis."

On March 11, 2009, President Obama signed H.R. 1105 , the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 ( P.L. 111-8 ), Division H of which was the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act and included funding for U.S. contributions to the U.N. system in the CIO account. CIO account funding totaled $1,529,400,000, in addition to the $75,000,000 appropriated for FY2009 in P.L. 110-252 . Section 7052, on the U.N. Human Rights Council, provided that "none of the funds may be made available for a U.S. contribution to the U.N. Human Rights Council." This restriction shall not apply if (1) the Secretary of State certifies that the provision of funds is in the interests of the United States, or (2) the United States is a member of the Human Rights Council.

Under Transparency and Accountability, Section 7088, subsection (a) on the United Nations noted that funds made available by this act

shall be made available to continue reform efforts at the United Nations: Provided , That not later than September 30, 2009, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations detailing actions taken by United Nations organizations under the headings "Contributions to International Organizations" and "International Organizations and Programs" to continue reform of United Nations financial management systems and program oversight.

The joint explanatory statement, viewed as a conference joint statement, repeated the Senate Appropriations Committee direction to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on sufficient funding and instruction to the Department of State on evaluation of the benefit to the United States of membership. The statement continued that "the decision to incorporate the United Nations (UN) Procurement Task Force (PTF) into the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) must not result in a diminished commitment by the UN to continue effective fraud and corruption investigations." The statement concluded that

The UN should affirm its commitment to a strong oversight body, which is independent and resistant to retaliation by UN employees and their respective governments. The Department of State is directed to make procurement reform a top priority at the UN and to ensure that sufficient resources are made available for vigorous procurement oversight and investigation capabilities.

On a different subject, the statement directed the State Department to "report to the Committees on Appropriations not later than 120 days after enactment of this Act on the voting practices of UN member states for the current and past three years on matters regarding Iran, Israel, Sudan, and Zimbabwe, as well as on the reform efforts of the UN."

Voluntary Contributions

For FY2009, President Bush requested $276,900,000 for the International Organizations and Programs account (IO&P), to fund U.S. voluntary contributions to U.N. system programs and those of other organizations. This request included $124,500,000 for UNICEF and $75,300,000 for the U.N. Development Program (UNDP). He also requested, through the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (NADR) account of the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs appropriations, $50 million for U.S. voluntary contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

On July 18, 2008, the Senate Appropriations Committee recommended the appropriation of $364,000,000 for the IO&P account, $84,100,000 above President Bush's request of $276,900,000. The committee's table of its recommendations for this account included $129,000,000 for UNICEF (an increase of $4,500,000 over the President's request) and $97,500,000 for UNDP (an increase of $22,200,000 above the request); the addition of $2,000,000 for the U.N. Procurement Task Force; and no funds for the U.N. Democracy Fund ($14,000,000 had been requested). The report noted the committee's support for "continuation of an independent procurement task force to address fraud and corruption within the United Nations." The committee also requested "the administration to explain how a contribution to the UNDF [U.N. Democracy Fund] fits into its overall strategy to promote democracy abroad."

On March 11, 2009, President Obama signed H.R. 1105 , the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 ( P.L. 111-8 ). Division H of the act was the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act and included funding for U.S. contributions to the U.N. system in the IO&P and NADR accounts. Funding for the IO&P account totaled $352,500,000. A table in the joint explanatory statement provided a program breakdown of the allocations. This included $130,000,000 for U.S. voluntary contributions to UNICEF; $100,000,000 to the UNDP; $10,000,000 to UNEP; $30,000,000 for the UNFPA (U.N. Population Fund); and $8,000,000 for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The Senate Appropriations Committee recommended, in the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (NADR) account, the appropriation of $66,000,000 for U.S. voluntary contributions to the IAEA. That was an amount $16,000,000 above President Bush's request of $50,000,000. The Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009, included $61,000,000 for voluntary contributions to the IAEA.

Peacekeeping Accounts

On February 4, 2008, President Bush requested for FY2009, $1,497,000,000 to pay U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping operations, in the State Department's Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account. This request included $31,000,000 for the two international war crimes tribunals (Yugoslavia and Rwanda) that are not peacekeeping operations.

On July 18, 2008, the Senate Appropriations Committee recommended $1,650,000,000 in appropriations to the CIPA account, an amount that is $153,000,000 above the President's request. This is in addition to the $150,500,000 provided in Bridge Funding for FY2009 in P.L. 110-252 . The committee noted "that the budget request for U.S. assessed contributions to international peacekeeping missions assumed a reduction in the cost of every mission below the fiscal year 2008 operating level.... The Committee recognizes the significant contribution to international peace and stability provided by U.N. peacekeeping activities, without the participation of U.S. troops. The Committee does not support OMB's practice of under-funding peacekeeping activities and relying on limited supplemental funds to support only a few missions."

The committee bill included language, as requested by President Bush, to "adjust the authorized level of U.S. assessments for peacekeeping activities for calendar year 2009 and prior years from 25 percent to 27.1 percent, consistent with the level set in fiscal year 2008 ( P.L. 110-161 )." The committee expected "that future budget requests shall include sufficient funding to support such authorization."

On March 11, 2009, President Obama signed H.R. 1105 , the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 ( P.L. 111-8 ). Division H of the act was the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act and included funding for U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. conducted peacekeeping operation accounts. CIPA account funding totaled $1,517,000,000, in addition to the $150,500,000 appropriated for FY2009 in P.L. 110-252 . Section 7051, on Peacekeeping Assessment, amended Section 404 (b)(2)(B) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (22 U.S.C. 287e note), by deleting subsection (v) and replacing it with "(v) For assessments made during each of the calendar years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009, 27.1 percent."

The joint explanatory statement directed the Department of State to "provide full funding" for the U.S. assessed contribution to the UN/African Union Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID), ensuring that UNAMID personnel receive training on prevention of and response to violence against women. The State Department was also directed to "support oversight of peacekeeping missions by the UN's OIOS to identify waste, fraud and abuse, including sexual abuse within every UN peacekeeping mission, and submit to the Committees on Appropriations a performance report on the progress of these efforts."

Combined Discussion—Continuing Appropriations

The Senate did not consider S. 3288 , the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2009. On July 16, 2008, the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee approved its FY2009 bill, which was referred to the full committee. The subcommittee recommendation was never issued as a bill.

On September 30, 2008, President Bush signed into law H.R. 2638 , the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009. Division A of the act, the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2009, provided appropriations for nine regular appropriations for FY2009, through March 6, 2009, at FY2008 spending levels, as apportioned by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Funds available through March 6, 2009, for the CIO, CIPA, and IO&P accounts were estimated to be as follows:

CIO account: $577,808,968 CIPA account: $525,800,000 IO&P account: $136,297,473

The Continuing Resolution was extended through March 11, 2009, in P.L. 111-6 .

Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (and FY2009 Bridge Funding)

On June 30, 2008, President Bush signed H.R. 2642 , the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 ( P.L. 110-252 ). Congress provided additional funding for both the CIO and CIPA accounts for both FY2008 and for FY2009 in this act. Under the Department of State and Foreign Operations, in Subchapter A-Supplemental Appropriations for FY2008, Congress appropriated $66,000,000 for the CIO account, to be available through September 30, 2009. This is for U.S. contributions to UNAMA (Afghanistan) and UNAMI (Iraq) and to meet FY2008 assessed payments to "organizations whose missions are critical to protecting United States national security interests, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons." Congress directed the Department of State to provide a report to the appropriations committees, not later than 45 days after enactment, "detailing total United States-assessed contributions, any arrears for fiscal years 2008 and 2009 for each of the organizations funded under this heading."

In this subchapter, Congress also appropriated $373,708,000 for the CIPA account, not less than $333,600,000 of which was for U.S. assessed contributions for UNAMID. The remaining $40,108,000 was to "meet unmet fiscal year 2008 assessed dues for the international peacekeeping missions to countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Haiti, Liberia, and Sudan."

Under Subchapter B - Bridge Fund Supplemental Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2009, Congress provided $75,000,000 for the CIO account, to be available October 1, 2008, through September 30, 2009. Congress provided $150,500,000 for the CIPA account, to be available during the same time period. (See Appendix B for a chronology of major actions in 2008 and 2009 relating to U.S. funding for the U.N. system.)

Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009

On April 9, 2009, President Obama submitted a supplemental request, most of which was for military and security efforts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. Under the CIPA account, he requested an additional $836,900,000, to be available through September 30, 2010. He requested that up to $50,000,000 be available for transfer to and merging with the Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) account for peacekeeping in Somalia. It was anticipated that $454,529,000 of the request for the CIPA account would be available for paying shortfalls in U.S. assessed contributions to existing U.N. peacekeeping operations. The supplemental also requested $50,000,000 for the PKO account that normally finances U.S. voluntary support for peacekeeping.

On June 24, 2009, the President signed H.R. 2346 , the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009 ( P.L. 111-32 ), which provided $721,000,000 for the CIPA account, $115.9 million less than the request. It provided $185,000,000 for the PKO account, including up to 115.9 million that may be used to pay assessed expenses of international peacekeeping activities in Somalia.

FY2008 Funding

Status

On December 26, 2007, President Bush signed H.R. 2764 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, Division J of which was the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2008 ( P.L. 110-161 ). This division provided funding for U.S. assessed and voluntary contributions to the United Nations system. Funding for U.S. assessed contributions to international organizations, including the United Nations, totaled $1,354,400,000 [$1,343,429,000]. Funding for U.S. contributions to the assessed accounts of U.N. peacekeeping operations was $1,700,500,000 [$1,690,517,000]. Congress provided $313,485,000 [$316,897,000] in funds for U.S. voluntary contributions to U.N. system programs.

Assessed Contributions

On February 5, 2007, President Bush requested $1,354,400,000 for payment of U.S. assessed contributions (CIO account) to the 45 international (including regional) intergovernmental organizations that the United States is a member of. The CIO account request included the following amounts for the United Nations: the U.N. regular budget, $495,778,000; U.N. Capital Master Plan (CMP), $85,435,000; U.N. War Crimes Tribunal—Yugoslavia, $19,128,000; and the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal—Rwanda, $15,647,000 (aggregated total: $615,988,000). The amount requested for U.S. assessed contributions to 11 other separate U.N. agencies was $449,439,000. The President also requested an "additional FY2008 funding" for the CIO account in the amount of $53 million. This would fund U.S. contributions for the costs in CY2007 of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), both of which are special political missions financed from the U.N. regular budget.

On June 18, 2007, the House Appropriations Committee reported H.R. 2764 , the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2008. The committee recommended $1,354,400,000 for the CIO account. The committee did not include $53 million of the funds requested for the U.N. regular budget, stating that this had been provided as part of the FY2008 [sic] emergency funding, for costs for the U.N. assistance missions in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and in Iraq (UNAMI). The House committee recommendation in the CIO account for U.S. assessed contributions to the U.N. regular budget was $442,778,000. The House passed H.R. 2764 , at the committee-recommended level, on June 22, 2007.

On July 10, 2007, the Senate Appropriations Committee recommended, in H.R. 2764 , $1,374,400,000 for the CIO account and directed the Secretary of State "to request sufficient funds to pay annual U.S. assessed dues and any accumulated arrears to international organizations and encourages the Department of State to evaluate the benefit of U.S. membership on an annual basis." On September 6, 2007, the Senate passed H.R. 2764 with the committee-recommended amount for the CIO account, to be available through September 30, 2009.

On December 19, 2007, Congress sent to the President H.R. 2764 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, which included, in Division J, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Appropriations Act, 2008. President Bush signed this act on December 26, 2007 ( P.L. 110-161 ), which provided $1,354,400,000 [$1,343,429,000] for the CIO account, as requested.

Voluntary Contributions

For FY2008, President Bush requested $289,400,000 for the International Organizations and Programs Account (IO&P), to fund U.S. voluntary contributions to U.N. system programs and those of other organizations. This request included $123 million for UNICEF and $75,300,000 for the U.N. Development Program (UNDP). He also requested, through the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (Nonproliferation) account of the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs appropriations, $50 million for special programs of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

On June 28, 2007, the House Appropriations Committee, in H.R. 2764 , recommended $333,400,000 for the IO&P account, including not less than $128 million for UNICEF and not less than $110 million for UNDP. The committee did not recommend the funds requested for the U.N. Democracy Fund or for the U.N. Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative. The committee recommended the requested $50 million in the Nonproliferation account for IAEA voluntary contributions. These committee-recommended levels were passed by the House on June 22, 2007.

On July 10, 2007, the Senate Appropriations Committee recommended $313,925,000 for the IO&P account, including $129 million for UNICEF and $100 million for UNDP. The committee dropped the requested $14 million for the U.N. Democracy Fund and $10 million for the U.N. Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative. The Senate committee recommended $53 million for IAEA Voluntary Contributions in the Nonproliferation account. In Section 667 (Transparency and Accountability) of H.R. 2764 , the Senate committee stipulated that before initial obligation of funds for U.S. contributions to the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), the Secretary of State certify that UNDP is "giving adequate and appropriate access to information" to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations "regarding UNDP's programs and activities, as requested, including in North Korea and in Burma." The Secretary was also to certify that UNDP was conducting "appropriate oversight" of its programs and activities globally. The Senate-passed bill provided the committee-recommended amount for the IO&P account and for the Nonproliferation account.

Division J of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Act, 2008, provided $319,485,000 [$316,897,000] for the IO&P account. The President had requested $289,400,000 for this account. While the law provides a single figure, the Joint Explanatory Statement includes data on allocation of these funds, including $129,000,000 for UNICEF, $98,160,000 for UNDP, and $10,500,000 for the UNEP. These allocations, however, may not be firm because they are based on the IO&P account figure prior to application of the across-the-board rescission.

Section 668 of the enacted bill, entitled Transparency and Accountability, provides that 10% of the funds appropriated under the IO&P account to any U.N. agency may be withheld from disbursement if the Secretary of State reports

that such agency does not have or is not implementing a policy of posting on a publicly available website information such as: (1) audits, budget reports, and information related to procurement activities; (2) procedures for protecting whistleblowers; and (3) efforts to ensure the independence of internal oversight bodies, adopt international public sector accounting standards, and limit administrative costs.

Section 668 (b) provides that 20% of the funds appropriated under the IO&P account for a U.S. contribution to the UNDP "shall be withheld from disbursement until the Secretary of State reports" that UNDP is

(1) giving adequate access to information to the Department of State regarding UNDP's programs and activities as requested, including in North Korea and Burma;

(2) conducting oversight of UNDP programs and activities globally; and

(3) implementing a whistleblower protection policy equivalent to that recommended by the United Nations Secretary General on December 3, 2007.

Congress provided $487,000,000 [$483,055,000] for the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related Programs account, including for the U.S. voluntary contribution to the IAEA. The Joint Explanatory Statement allocated $51,500,000 to IAEA. That figure may be subject to the across-the-board rescission. President Bush had requested $50,000,000 for the IAEA.

Peacekeeping Accounts

On February 5, 2007, President Bush requested, in his FY2008 budget request, $1,107,000,000 to pay U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping operations, in the State Department's Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account. This request included $34,181,000 for the two international war crimes tribunals (Yugoslavia and Rwanda) that are not peacekeeping operations. The House Appropriations Committee, on June 18, 2007, recommended $1,302,000,000 for the CIPA account and included language increasing the peacekeeping assessment cap to $27.1% for calendar year 2008. The House, on June 22, 2007, passed H.R. 2764 , with the committee-recommended amount for the CIPA account, and with the increased peacekeeping assessment cap language.

The Senate Appropriations Committee recommended an appropriation of $1,352,000,000 for the CIPA account. The committee report observed that the CIPA request "was unrealistic considering the significant contribution to peace and stability provided by U.N. peacekeeping activities, without the participation of U.S. troops.... The Committee does not support the administration's practice of under-funding peacekeeping activities and relying on limited supplemental funds." The committee included language raising the peacekeeping assessments cap from 25% to 27.1% for "fiscal year 2008." The Senate, on September 6, 2007, provided the amount recommended for the CIPA account and kept the language on the peacekeeping assessment cap.

On October 22, 2007, President Bush requested in a FY2008 supplemental an additional $723,600,000 for the CIPA account to remain available until September 30, 2009. This amount, designated as "emergency requirements," would fund the U.S. share of the start-up, infrastructure, and operating costs of the new U.N. peacekeeping operation in Darfur (UNAMID). This request brought the total amount requested by the President for the CIPA account for FY2008 to $1,830,600,000. Division J of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, provided $1,700,500,000 [$1,690,517,000] for CIPA, $468,000,000 of which was designated emergency.

FY2007 Emergency Supplemental

President Bush also requested FY2007 supplemental funding for CIPA. The CIPA supplemental request of $200 million was to pay U.S. assessed contributions for "unforeseen" U.N. peacekeeping expenses. President Bush, on May 1, 2007, vetoed H.R. 1591 , Making Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for FY2007, which had included $288 million for the CIPA account. Congress then passed H.R. 2206 , a replacement FY2007 emergency supplemental bill, which President Bush signed on May 25, 2007, as the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007. H.R. 1591 had included funds in the CIO account (originally in the Senate-passed bill [$59 million] but not in the House-passed version) for payment of U.S. arrears to the assessed budgets of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the IAEA, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, International Civil Aviation Organization, World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Pan American Health Organization. The conferees had agreed to $50 million. H.R. 2206 provided $50 million for the CIO account and $288 million for the CIPA account.

FY2007 Funding

Assessed Contributions

On February 6, 2006, President Bush requested $1,268,523,000 for payment of U.S. assessed contributions to international organizations (CIO account) of which $922,970,000 was for assessed U.N. system organizations including $422,761,000 for the U.N. regular budget. In addition, the President requested $1,135,327,000 to pay U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping activities (CIPA account). On June 29, 2006, the House passed H.R. 5672 , including State Department appropriations for 2007, and providing $1,151,318,000 for the CIO account. On July 10, 2006, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported H.R. 5522 , to provide appropriations for the State Department, including $1,151,318,000 for the CIO account. The Senate did not act on this bill in the 109 th Congress.

Voluntary Contributions

The appropriate level of funding for U.N. voluntary programs continues to be a congressional concern. For FY2007 the Administration requested $289 million for U.S. voluntary contributions to programs in the international organizations and programs (IO&P) account. In addition, $50 million was requested in another account for IAEA voluntary programs. On June 9, 2006, the House passed H.R. 5522 , the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act, providing $327,570,000 for the IO&P account. The committee recommended the requested $50 million for IAEA voluntary programs, which is found in the Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and Related Programs account. On July 10, 2006, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported H.R. 5522 , providing $306,125,000 for the IO&P account. No further action was taken on H.R. 5522 in the 109 th Congress.

Peacekeeping Accounts

Issues relating to U.S. support for U.N. peacekeeping operations including financing of such activities have been the source of particular congressional concern. In 1994, Congress enacted legislation (Section 404 of P.L. 103-236 ) which limited U.S. assessed peacekeeping contributions after October 1, 1995, to 25% of total U.N. peacekeeping assessments. P.L. 107-228 amended this provision for calendar years 2001-2004, allowing U.S. assessments of 28.15% in 2001, 27.9% in 2002 and 27.4% in 2003 and 2004. P.L. 108-447 raised the cap to 27.1% for calendar year 2005. On December 13, 2005, Senator Biden introduced S. 2095 , to raise the U.S. peacekeeping cap to 27.1% for calendar years 2005 and 2006. On June 22, 2006, the Senate passed S. 2766 , the Defense Authorization Act for FY2007, including an amendment that would set the cap for U.S. contributions at 27.10% for assessments made for U.N. peacekeeping operations for CY2005, 2006, and 2007. On October 5, 2006, the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 ( H.R. 5122 ) was presented to the President, without the peacekeeping cap provision.

On February 6, 2006, the Bush Administration requested $1,135,327,000 for U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping activities (CIPA account). On February 16, 2006, President Bush, in a FY2006 supplemental, requested an additional $69.8 million for CIPA, including funds for U.N. peacekeeping in the Sudan. On June 15, 2006, H.R. 4939 , providing $129.8 million for CIPA, was sent to the President, who signed it the same day. On June 29, 2006, the House passed H.R. 5672 , including in State Department appropriations for 2007, the requested amount for the CIPA account. On July 10, 2006, the Senate Appropriations Committee, in H.R. 5522 , reported appropriations for the State Department that included the same requested amount for the CIPA account.

On February 15, 2007, Congress sent President Bush H.J.Res. 20 , the Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007, to fund the FY2007 budget through September 30, 2007, which he signed on the same day, P.L. 110-5 . For FY2007, Congress provided $1,151,300,000 for the CIO account, $1,135,275,000 for the CIPA account, and $326,200,000 for the IO&P account.

FY2006 Funding99

Assessed Contributions

On February 7, 2005, the Bush Administration requested $1.296 billion for U.S. assessed Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) of which $931,362,000 was for assessed U.N. system organizations including $438,952,000 for the U.N. regular budget. President Bush requested $1.035 billion for U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping activities (CIPA). Another $780 million was requested for U.N. peacekeeping operations in supplemental FY2005 appropriations.

On June 16, 2005, the House, by a vote of 417 to 7, passed H.R. 2862 , which would appropriate $1.166 billion for U.S. assessed contributions to CIO. This was more than $130 million below the Administration request. In addition, by a voice vote, the House agreed to an amendment offered by Representative Garrett which increased funding for state and law enforcement grants by $22 million that was made available by reducing U.S. contributions to the United Nations by that amount. An amendment offered by Representative Paul prohibiting any U.S. contribution to the United Nations or any affiliated agency was defeated by a vote of 65 to 357.

H.R. 3057 as passed by the Senate on July 20, 2005, included $1.166 billion for U.S. assessed CIO (more than $130 million below the Administration's request), and $1.035 billion for assessed peacekeeping activities. The Senate also agreed to an amendment expressing the sense of the Senate that the use of funds for any loan to the United Nations for the renovation of its headquarters in New York not exceed $600 million. The Senate Committee on Appropriations requested a number of State Department reports during its consideration of the legislation: information on assessment rates and other economic data on the 15 U.N. member countries with the greatest gross domestic products; an evaluation of U.S. participation in non-treaty obligated international organizations; and information on changes in the World Tourism Organization (WTO) since U.S. withdrawal and potential benefits of any future U.S. participation in the WTO.

On March 10, 2005, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations reported S. 600 , authorizing appropriations for foreign relations for FY2006 and FY2007 ( S.Rept. 109-35 ). This bill authorized $1.296 billion for U.S. assessed contributions to international organizations (CIO), and $1.035 billion for U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping activities (CIPA) account. On June 9, 2005, the House Committee on International Relations voted to report H.R. 2601 , to authorize appropriations for the Department of State for FY2006 and 2007 ( H.Rept. 109-168 ). The House passed H.R. 2601 on July 20, 2005. The Hyde United Nations Reform bill, H.R. 2745 , had been added to H.R. 2601 on July 19, 2005, prior to its passage. Congress did not complete action on a Foreign Relations Authorization Act for FY2006-2007.

H.R. 2862 , appropriating funds for Science, the Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce for FY2006, was signed on November 22, 2005 ( P.L. 109-108 ). It included $1.166 billion for assessed contributions to international organizations (CIO), and $1,035,500,000 for assessed contributions to international peacekeeping activities (CIPA). The Secretary of State, at the time of the President's budget submission to Congress, is to transmit to the appropriations committees the most recent biennial U.N. budget and notify the same committees of any U.N. action to increase funding for any U.N. program without identifying an offsetting decrease elsewhere in the U.N. budget and cause the U.N. budget for the 2006-2007 biennium to exceed the revised U.N. budget level for the 2004-2005 biennium.

Voluntary Contributions

On February 7, 2005, the Bush Administration requested $281,908,000 for voluntary contributions for the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account including $114 million for UNICEF and $95 million for UNDP. Fifty million dollars for IAEA voluntary programs was requested in another account.

On June 28, 2005, the House passed H.R. 3057 , including $328,958,000 for voluntary contributions for FY2006 for the IO&P account as had been recommended by the House Committee on Appropriations in its report, H.Rept. 109-152 . The committee also recommended that of the amounts appropriated in the account, not less than $110 million be for the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), not less than $127 million for the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF), $5 million for the U.N. Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) (of which $3.5 million for the Fund and $1.5 million for the Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence Against Women), and noted the importance of the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP) work in the Palestinian territories.

H.R. 3057 as passed by the Senate on July 20, 2005, included a total of $330 million for FY2006 for U.S. voluntary contributions to programs in the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account as had been recommended by the Senate Committee on Appropriations in its report, S.Rept. 109-96 . The committee also recommended that of the amounts appropriated in the account, $128 million be for UNICEF, and $110 million for UNDP. The committee recommended $10 million for the proposed U.N. Democracy Fund in another account, and recommended that $10 million for the World Food Program (WFP) come from funds for USAID's Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance.

On March 10, 2005, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee reported on S. 600 ( S.Rept. 109-35 ), authorizing $281,908,000 for voluntary contributions for the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account. An authorization bill was not passed.

The Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act for FY2006, H.R. 3057 , signed November 4, 2005, P.L. 109-102 , included $329,458,000 for U.S. voluntary contributions to the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account. The conference report ( H.Rept. 109-265 ) recommended that $127 million be for UNICEF and $110 million for UNDP; $50 million was recommended from another account for IAEA voluntary programs.

U.N. Peacekeeping Accounts

The Bush Administration requested $1,035,500,000 for FY2006 for U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping activities (CIPA). P.L. 109-108 included the requested $1,035,500,000 for FY2006 U.S. assessed peacekeeping activities.

Tables on U.S. Contributions: FY2009-FY2012 and FY2012 and FY2013 Requests

Other Basic Information102

Scale of Assessments

Article 17 of the U.N. Charter requires each U.N. member state, including the United States, to contribute to the expenses of the organization, as assessed by the General Assembly. The U.N. General Assembly has adopted a scale of assessments—which is based generally on a country's capacity to pay—that requires the United States to pay the maximum or 22% of the U.N. regular budget, while 53 members pay the minimum or 0.001%. If there were no maximum and minimum assessment levels for the U.N. regular budget and assessments were based exclusively on a ratio of a country's gross national product, the United States would be assessed about 30% and some very small and poor countries might be assessed less than 0.001%.

Regardless of the size of assessment, each member has one vote on U.N. budget decisions, although U.N. regular budgets since 1988 have generally been adopted by consensus. (See next paragraph for exception.) Some experts have maintained that the General Assembly budget decision process, by one nation, one vote, that commits a few member states to pay a major percentage of that budget, is unfair and that other principles should replace one nation, one vote on budget issues. When this issue came up between 1985 and 1988, the Assembly decided that every effort would be made to adopt the U.N. regular budget by consensus. In this way, any member state, including the major contributors, might prevent consensus on a budget resolution. The intention was to give major contributing nations a stronger voice in budget matters.

On April 28, 2006, however, this practice of consensus on U.N. budget matters was broken when the Fifth Committee (on administrative and budgetary matters) voted, 108 in favor, to 50 (including the United States) against, with 3 abstentions, on a resolution that would define how Secretary-General Kofi Annan would carry out the 23 proposals he had presented in his report, Investing in the United Nations: for a stronger organization worldwide . The resolution was sponsored by the Group of 77 and China. This vote in the Fifth Committee was followed, on May 8, 2006, by a vote in plenary on the same resolution.

In December 2007, during General Assembly consideration of the 2008-2009 U.N. regular budget, the United States voted against a related resolution—A/RES/62/236, Questions relating to the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009 , but joined the consensus on the resolution that approved a biennial budget of $4.17 billion. U.S. representatives characterized the budget resolution as an initial budget, with items to be added to the original budget later in the 62 nd session. The United States was particularly concerned over the "piece meal" and "ad hoc" approach.

On December 11, 2007, when U.S. Ambassador Mark Wallace addressed the General Assembly's Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) on the status of the 2008-2009 budget, he made the following observations:

The Secretary-General has proposed an "initial" budget of $4.19 billion for the biennium 2008/2009. As we all know, this $4.19 billion proposal represents only a part of the actual budget. In addition the Secretary-General simultaneously but separately identified various "add ons" to the base budget that would bring the actual 2008/2009 budget up to approximately $4.8 billion. The 2006/2007 approved budget was $3.799 billion though it ultimately totaled $4.17 billion. The 2008/2009 projected budget of $4.8 billion represents a 15% increase over the 2006/2007 budget.

The proposed regular budget with just the "add ons" already identified by the Secretary-General makes this budget the largest regular budget in the history of the U.N. This budget also represents the largest increase in the history of the U.N. on a dollar basis. Moreover, even this $4.8 billion figure is not what any of us expect as the final budget because it does not take into account additional proposals that have more recently been identified or which we can expect during the course of the biennium.

We expect that the final actual total budget of the 2008/2009 biennium to be in excess of approximately $5.2 billion. Accordingly, such a final budget is likely to represent an increase of 25% or more from the 2006/2007 budget. And let's remember what such an increase actually funds. As my colleagues from the G77 and China rightly point out in paragraph 30 of the Draft Resolution before us: "approximately 75 percent of the budget resources are related to salaries and common staff cost.... " The budget increase does not go directly to humanitarian or development aid but rather to increasing the size of the UN Secretariat bureaucracy.

We all agree that the piecemeal, ad hoc approach of the current budget is inconsistent with sound budgeting practices. See paragraphs 9, and 35 of the Draft Resolution on the 2008/2009 biennium budget. Moreover, we are concerned that no substantial cuts or offsets have been proposed by the Secretary-General or member states to this largest of all U.N. budget increases.

For calendar year 2009, the top three contributors (United States, Japan, and Germany) were assessed a total of 47.201% of the U.N. regular budget. The top 10 contributors, which include four of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, pay 76.092% of the total U.N. regular budget according to the scale of assessments adopted in December 2006 by the General Assembly for CY2007-2009.

For calendar years 2010 and 2011, the top three contributors (United States, Japan, and Germany) were assessed a total of 42.548% of the U.N. regular budget. The top 10 contributors, which currently include all of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, pay 72.203% of the total U.N. regular budget according to the scale of assessments adopted in December 2009 by the General Assembly for calendar years 2010-2012.

For 2009, the other permanent member of the Security Council, the Russian Federation, was assessed at 1.20%, or $32,634,115. For 2010, the Russian Federation was assessed at 1.602%, or $37,656,722.

In 2006, then-U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton suggested that the U.N. General Assembly consider the use of different economic data, in forming the scale of assessments. Ambassador Bolton proposed that the scale of assessments be based on

purchasing power parity (PPP) in our calculation of gross national income. PPP is the numbers of units of a country's currency needed to buy in the country the same amounts of goods and services in a different country. At this time, the assessment is based on Gross National Income (GNI) as determined by Gross Domestic Product.... The World Bank currently uses PPPs as an analytical tool, but not for income comparisons.

In its July 10, 2006, report, the Senate Appropriations Committee recommended "that the current rate of assessment should not be increased, and that the United Nations consider economic factors such as purchasing power parity and foreign currency rates." The House Appropriations Committee, noting that China's "U.N. assessment rate" was low relative to its "real GDP growth," directed the State Department to report "as to whether the current assessment formula should be revised."

The U.N. Committee on Contributions is a standing committee of 18 members selected by the Assembly on the basis of broad geographical representation, personal qualifications and experience. This committee advises the Assembly on the scale of assessments, recommending assessment levels for new member states, reviewing appeals for a change of assessment, and examining applications of Article 19 against countries in arrears on payment of their assessed contributions. Each third year, the committee reviews the scale and, based on instructions from the Assembly, recommends revisions in the scale for the next three-year period. The committee met June 5 to 30, 2006, to carry out this review and to recommend a scale for the period 2007-2009. A U.S. national is a member of this committee.

On December 22, 2006, the U.N. General Assembly, without a vote, approved a new scale of assessments for the period 2007-2009. The U.S. assessment remained at 22%, while other assessment levels were changed. The level for Japan was set at 16.624%, down from 19.468% in 2006; the level for China was increased from 2.053% to 2.667% for 2007. In all, the assessment levels for 78 U.N. member states were increased, while the assessment levels for 51 U.N. member states were reduced. The assessment levels for 62 states, including the United States, remained unchanged.

On December 24, 2009, the 64 th session of the U.N. General Assembly, by consensus (that is, without a vote), adopted a revised scale of assessments for the period 2010-2012. While the U.S. assessment remained at 22%, the assessment levels changed, either up or down, for at least 138 countries.

Specialized agencies, while linked to the United Nations, are autonomous organizations, with their own executive, legislative, and budgetary powers. Some agencies follow the U.N. scale in making assessments; other agencies use their own formulas, which often result in lower U.S. assessments. The U.S. assessment levels for these agencies for CY2006, CY2007, CY2008, CY2009, and CY2010 are as follows:

Arrearages

Under Article 19 of the U.N. Charter, countries with arrears totaling more than the member's assessments for the two preceding years lose their vote in the U.N. General Assembly. As of September 8, 2010, six countries were in that status. On October 8, 2010, however, the U.N. General Assembly decided that the six countries would be permitted to vote in the Assembly until the end of its 65 th session, in September 2011.

According to the United Nations, the United States, as of December 31, 2009, owed assessed contributions of $859,999,766. These arrearages broke out in the following way:

$293,733,963 for the U.N. regular budget;

$27,600,673 for International Tribunals;

$15,106,960 for the Capital Master Plan; and

$523,558,170 for peacekeeping assessed accounts.

According to the United Nations, the United States, as of September 22, 2010, owed assessed contributions of $1,231,008,190.87. These arrearages broke out in the following way:

$691,301,175.47 for the U.N. regular budget;

$33,541,269.00 for the International Tribunals;

$75,534,800.00 for the Capital Master Plan; and

$430,630,946.40 for peacekeeping assessed accounts.

Funding the U.N. War Crimes Tribunals

The U.N. Security Council has created two war crimes tribunals to investigate and prosecute those accused of serious crimes against humanity under specified circumstances. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Republic of Yugoslavia (ICTY) was set up in 1993 to investigate and prosecute those accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, or violations of international humanitarian law on the territory of the former Yugoslavia since 1991. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) was created in November 1994 to investigate and prosecute persons accused of genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law in the territory of Rwanda between January 1 and December 31, 1994, and also Rwandan citizens suspected of such acts or violations in the territory of neighboring states.

The General Assembly decided that each tribunal would be financed through a special assessed account and that U.N. member states would be assessed to contribute to those accounts in a unique way. Half of the annual budget of each would be paid on the basis of the scale of assessments used for contributions to the U.N. regular budget, and half of each account would be funded on the basis of the scale of assessments used for contributions to U.N. peacekeeping operation accounts. For the United States, this means that half of its contribution to each tribunal's account is based on 22%, its regular budget assessment rate, and half is based on its peacekeeping account assessment rate in the current calendar year. Thus, the U.S. contribution for each tribunal is funded from both the Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) account and from the Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account.

Each tribunal was initially under a Security Council requirement and timetable to complete its work by December 31, 2010. In December 2009, the Council reviewed the tribunals' efforts to meet their "completion" deadlines, and adopted resolutions "underlining its intention" to extend the terms of office of all trial and appeals judges until December 31, 2012. On June 29, 2010, the Council adopted resolutions extending the terms.

On December 22, 2010, the Security Council established a new body to finish the remaining tasks of the two tribunals and called on the tribunals to conclude their work by the end of 2014. Council Resolution 1966 (2010) established an International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals that would complete the remaining tasks of the tribunals and maintain their "respective legacies." The Mechanism's branch for the Rwanda tribunal would start its operations on July 1, 2012, and the branch for the former Yugoslavia tribunal would start its operations on July 1, 2013.

The United Nations Capital Master Plan

On December 22, 2006, the U.N. General Assembly unanimously approved a budget of $1.88 billion ($1,876.7 million) for the U.N. Capital Master Plan (CMP) to be completed during the period 2006 to 2014. The financing plan approved in the same resolution (A/RES/61/251) was based on a mix of one-time and five equal multiyear assessments, using the regular budget assessment scale for 2007 for all multiyear assessments. This action by the Assembly marked the end of six years of discussion, debate, study, reports, and negotiations on both a strategy for renovating the 50 year-old U.N. headquarters complex and a plan for financing that project.

On December 10, 2007, the U.N. General Assembly, by consensus, approved an accelerated strategy for the renovation of the U.N. complex, with completion scheduled for 2013 instead of 2016. Under this plan, the entire Secretariat building would be emptied in one phase instead of four phases. The increased cost of leasing additional swing space would be offset by the lowered cost of the Secretariat building renovation. The Assembly authorized the leasing of additional swing space but kept the budget and payment schedule unchanged.

The main buildings in the United Nations headquarters complex in New York City were constructed between 1949 and 1952. The Dag Hammarskjold Library was completed in 1961. Since that time, no substantial renovation of the buildings has occurred. An examination of conditions in the complex was made by architects, engineers, and other consultants in 1998 and 1999. According to a 2001 report by the then U.S. General Accounting Office (now the U.S. Government Accountability Office), the major systems in the buildings—plumbing, electrical, and chilled and hot water—had passed their "economic life expectancy" and the buildings no longer met New York City and State safety, fire, and building codes.

Initial Solution

After his initial June 2000 Capital Master Plan proposal for the renovation of the headquarters complex, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan presented a second report to the U.N. General Assembly in August 2002. This report served as the basis for General Assembly approval in December 2002 of a plan for the CMP renovation (A/RES/97/292). That plan involved the renovation of the seven buildings on the site, including the Secretariat building, General Assembly building, Conference building, Dag Hammarskjold Library, and South Annex. The plan envisioned construction of a "swing space" building located close to the headquarters complex to provide space for all of the staff in the Secretariat building and for meetings. The swing space building cost was not included in the CMP financing. It would be built and financed by the United Nations Development Corporation, a separate public benefit corporation set up by New York State in 1968 to develop offices and other facilities for U.N.-related activities.

In September 2005, direct CMP costs were estimated at $1.2 billion. The initial financing plan called for a loan from the host government, the United States. Early discussions had envisioned that this might be an interest-free loan, as was the $65 million loan from the United States to finance original construction of the headquarters complex. In March 2005, the U.S. government offered to the United Nations an interest-bearing loan of $1.2 billion to finance the Capital Master Plan and to be provided in three installments over a period of three years. The loan would be repaid to the United States over 30 years with interest charged at 5.54% annually. The U.N. membership, through a General Assembly resolution, would have to authorize the Secretary-General to sign a loan agreement. Once signed, the U.S. loan offer would be kept on the table as an option for financing the CMP. The Assembly did not authorize the Secretary-General to sign the loan agreement. In addition, the New York State Legislature did not approve construction of a swing space building.

Final Approved Solutions

On July 19, 2005, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Louis Frederick Reuter, IV, of the United States, to the post of Assistant Secretary-General-Executive Director of the Capital Master Plan. On November 17, 2005, Mr. Reuter reported to the General Assembly, recommending a phased approach under which the Secretariat building would be renovated in four phases, in 10-floor increments, starting at the top. Affected staff would be relocated to leased office space. The General Assembly building would be renovated in a single phase, with a large temporary building constructed on the North Lawn as the site for Assembly activities during the renovation. That North Lawn facility would then serve as a site for conferences while the conference building was renovated in two phases.

The total cost of this approach was estimated at $1.587 billion. In examining possible financing for the project, Mr. Reuter determined that the "most viable" would be through a multiyear assessment of U.N. member states to a special assessed account for the CMP. He also recommended establishment of a working operating reserve fund at the level of 20% of anticipated annual expenditures to ensure a stable cash flow, believed to be an essential precondition for uninterrupted financing of project costs. This reserve fund should be set up before the construction phase of the project and total at least $45 million, financed through a separate assessment. It would be phased out at the end of the construction phase and credited back to member states.

While the Assembly, in May 2006, considered some aspects of the CMP, it did not approve a new strategy and financing plan until a year after they were recommended. On December 22, 2006, the Assembly, in A/RES/61/251, approved the CMP, including scope options, to be completed from 2006-2014, at a total revised project budget not to exceed $1,876.7 million. The Assembly apportioned, for the period from 2007 to 2011, the amounts applicable, based on each member states' assessment option of either a one-time payment, based on its share of $1,716.7 million or equal multiyear payments over five years, in accordance with the regular budget rates of assessment applicable for 2007 for all assessments for the CMP, using the scale of assessments for the period 2007-2009. The Assembly also appropriated $42 million for 2007 for the design and pre-construction phases of the capital master plan, including swing space requirements. The Assembly approved establishment of a working capital reserve of $45 million under the CMP account. Member states were to make advances to the working capital reserve in accordance with the regular budget rates of assessment applicable for 2007. Finally, the Assembly approved establishment of a letter of credit facility, with the stipulation that any drawdown on the letter of credit should be a last resort and solely for the purpose of funding the CMP.

Design, Planning, and Pre-construction Funding

Between 2000 and 2006, the U.N. General Assembly appropriated $160 million for various pre-renovation activities. In December 2002, the General Assembly in A/RES/97/292 had created a special assessed account for the CMP. The following table from a November 2006 GAO report provides an annual breakdown:

U.S. Contributions to the CMP and Congress

The initial anticipated plan for financing implementation of the CMP was to have been a $1.2 billion loan from the United States. Congress, in 2004, appropriated a $6 million U.N. Capital Master Plan Loan Subsidy in P.L. 108-447 , signed December 8, 2004. U.S. contributions to the assessed budgets of the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations are financed in the Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) account under the State Department. The language in P.L. 108-447 , is

of which up to $6,000,000, to remain available until expended, may be used for the cost of a direct loan to the United Nations for the cost of renovating its headquarters in New York: Provided , That such costs, including the cost of modifying such loan, shall be as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further , That these funds are available to subsidize total loan principal of up to $1,200,000,000.

In short, Congress appropriated an amount to subsidize the cost or the "assumed default risk" (from the State Department appropriations justification for FY2005) of the $1.2 billion interest bearing loan, not the $1.2 billion amount of the loan.

A second category of contributions, also financed under the State Department Appropriations Act, the CIO account, relates to the design and pre-construction planning and activities for implementation of the CMP. According to State Department budget information, the following U.S. contributions have been made available for CMP assessments:

Congress also provided that funds be available for a U.S. government inter-agency task force to examine, coordinate, and oversee U.S. participation in the U.N. headquarters renovation project. Up to $1,000,000 was set aside for such a task force, which had been recommended by the then General Accounting Office (GAO) in June 2001. The Department of State Appropriations Act, 2003, included a provision that "funds ... may be available" for such a task force. This provision has been included in each subsequent appropriations act, including in Division J of H.R. 2764 , the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2008. In addition, Section 412 of the Department of State and Related Agency Appropriations Act, 2006, includes the following language:

It is the sense of the Congress that the amount of any loan for the renovation of the United Nations headquarters building located in New York, New York, should not exceed $600,000,000: Provided, That if any loan exceeds $600,000,000, the Secretary of State shall notify the Congress of the current cost of the renovation and cost containment measures.

This provision is in both the House-passed and the Senate-reported versions of the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Act, 2008, H.R. 2764 , Section 697. This provision was not in H.R. 2764 , as it was passed by the Senate and it is not in the final act as passed by Congress and signed by the President.

Problems and Issues

On March 3, 2010, the U.N. Secretary-General announced appointment of the chairperson and five members of the Advisory Board of the Capital Master Plan, effective for a two-year term, starting January 1, 2010. As of the end of November 2009, the U.N. Secretary-General had not yet set up an advisory board that would advise him on financing matters and on overall project issues relating to the CMP. This board, suggested by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in June 2000 was approved by the General Assembly in December 2002 as an independent and impartial advisory board. The U.N. Board of Auditors, Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), and the Assembly's Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions all urged the appointment of such an advisory board. In 2005, the U.N. Board of Auditors noted that prominent candidates had declined to serve on the Board. The explanations included that service on the board would require enormous knowledge of the plan itself and an ongoing time commitment, that board members would take on an implied liability that was seen as undesirable, that such advice would be better obtained from working experts in the respective fields, and that those persons prominent in the respective fields might also be potential competitors and participation in the advisory board would make them ineligible to compete as contractors. The newly appointed Board held its first meeting on May 17 and 18, 2010, and its second, on September 13 and 14, 2010.

Also cited as problems were the lack of an executive director for the CMP for significant periods of time and under-staffing in the CMP office. On July 2, 2007, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Michael Adlerstein, a U.S. architect and project director, as executive director of CMP. After his appointment, Mr. Adlerstein evaluated the strategies approved by the Assembly in 2006 and recommended an accelerated strategy and other changes that were approved by the Assembly in 2007.

Update

Throughout 2010, work on the various elements of the CMP progressed. Among the actions taken were the following:

relocation of several thousand U.N. staff to off-site and on-site swing space; completion and opening of the North Lawn Building; start of construction in the Conference and Secretariat Buildings; and temporary relocation of the Security Council.

Congress and Funding the U.N. System

Congress has, over the years, sought to influence the direction of the United Nations and U.S. policy at the United Nations and in its agencies. A variety of tools have been used, from "sense of Congress" resolutions to restrictions placed in authorization and appropriations legislation. Congressional committees have held hearings to educate and to carry out their oversight functions. U.S. nominees to be ambassadors at the United Nations or its agencies have been queried on various aspects of U.S. policy and U.N. activity. Congress has reduced or increased executive branch funding requests, has withheld funding of the U.S. proportionate share that would finance particular programs or tied release of U.S. contributions to executive branch certifications once certain policy goals had been met.

U.S. Withholding

Beginning in 1980, Congress prohibited contribution of the U.S. proportionate share for a number of U.N. programs and activities of which Congress did not approve, including the Special Unit on Palestinian Rights, for projects benefitting the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), construction of a conference center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, and for implementation of General Assembly Resolution 3379 (XXX) (Zionism equals racism). In addition, the Administration withheld the U.S. proportionate share of funds for the Preparatory Commission for the Law of the Sea and funds relating to taxes paid by U.S. citizens employed by the United Nations. The only current U.S. legislative-based withholding for the U.N. regular budget is for programs relating to the Palestinians.

In addition, beginning in 1993, the United States recognized a lower peacekeeping assessment level than that applied by the United Nations, and since October 1, 1995, was limited by U.S. law (§404 of P.L. 103-236 ) to a 25% peacekeeping assessment level. Section 402 of P.L. 107-228 , signed into law on September 30, 2002, raised the 25% cap on U.S. peacekeeping assessments allowing payment of U.S. current peacekeeping assessments in full. In addition, since no waiver of the 25% cap on U.S. contributions for U.N. peacekeeping was enacted for CY2006, the United States was withholding from its contributions for U.N. peacekeeping the difference between the U.N. assessment of about 26.7% and the U.S. statutory limit of 25%.

Section 7051 of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2009 (in the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009, P.L. 111-8 ) amended Section 404 (b)(2)(B) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (22 U.S.C. 287e note), by deleting subsection (v) and replacing it with "(v) For assessments made during each of the calendar years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009, 27.1 percent." This had the effect of enabling the United States to pay any peacekeeping account arrears attributed to the cap for assessments made during five calendar years. Congress amended this section in the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2010, to 27.3% for assessments made during calendar year 2010.

Contributions Reporting Requirement

On June 22, 2006, the Senate passed S. 2766 , the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2007. Section 1213 would require the President to submit to Congress an annual report on all U.S. government contributions, both assessed and voluntary, made during each fiscal year (FY) to the entire U.N. system. The report would include (1) the total amount of all U.S. assessed and voluntary contributions to the United Nations and U.N. affiliated agencies and related bodies; (2) the approximate percentage of U.S. contributions to each U.N. affiliated agency or body in such FY when compared with all contributions to such agency or body from any source; and (3) for each contribution, the amount, a description of the contribution (including whether assessed or voluntary), the department or agency responsible for each contribution, the purpose of each contribution, and the U.N. or U.N. affiliated agency or related body receiving such contribution. This provision was an amendment proposed by Senator Warner for Senate Inhofe, was agreed to by Unanimous Consent, and received little, if any, debate. This provision became law as Section 1225 of P.L. 109-364 ( H.R. 5122 ), John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, signed by the President on October 17, 2006.

On June 28, 2006, during House consideration of H.R. 5672 , the State Department Appropriations Act, Representative Scott Garrett offered an identical amendment. Representative Garrett pointed out that Congress cannot make decisions on funding the United Nations without knowing the "total amount of money that we are spending for the U.N. and its programs and its services." After a point of order was raised, that the amendment "constituted legislation in an appropriation bill," Representative Garrett withdrew his amendment.

Over the years, two or three reporting requirements have provided data on annual U.S. contributions to international organizations; some of them still exist while one has been terminated. An annual report on U.S. contributions to international organizations for a fiscal year has been issued by the State Department since the first one, which covered FY1952, was transmitted to Congress in January 1953. This report is required by P.L. 81-806, September 21, 1950 (64 Stat. 902), Section 2 which requires the Secretary of State to report annually on the extent and disposition of all U.S. contributions (assessed and voluntary) to all international organizations in which the United States participates. The report does not include the international financial institutions, organizations with fewer than three members, the cost to the U.S. government of salaries and expenses of U.S. employees detailed to such organizations, loans which are to be repaid, and two-party contractual or other arrangements between an U.S. agency and the organization.

The report was last published, as a House document or State Department publication, in July 1993, for FY1991. The final published report was 170 pages and included three tables of special interest: U.S. Contributions to International Organizations, FY1946-1991; U.S. Contributions to the United Nations, Specialized Agencies, International Atomic Energy Agency, Calendar Years 1946-1991; and United Nations, Specialized Agencies, Special Programs, and the International Atomic Energy Agency: Total Program (Expenditures or Authorizations), Calendar Years 1946-1991. As issued for FY2004, this 10-page report might be viewed as a minimum response to the reporting requirement and the absence of the last three charts means that information on U.S. contributions to the U.N. system in an organized fashion no longer exists.

Another reporting requirement, adopted in 1980 ( P.L. 96-533 , Title VII, §703) and terminated in 1998 ( P.L. 105-362 , §1301 (b)(2)), required a semiannual report on all U.S. government voluntary contributions to international organizations. One weakness of the resulting reports was that they were just sheets of paper from any U.S. government agency involved in the exercise, provided without organization or analysis.

A third report required annually on U.S. participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations (22 U.S.C. 287b (c)) was added to the United Nations Participation Act. It includes data on U.S. assessed and voluntary contributions to U.N. peacekeeping operations on a calendar year basis and was originally required from the President (now the State Department). This report is not published but is transmitted to the appropriate committees. The 2008 Annual Report to the Congress on United Nations Peacekeeping , totaling 51 pages, was transmitted. The 2009 report, transmitted in September 2010, was seven pages.

United Nations Reform

Reform of the United Nations has been a persistent issue over the history of the organization. The drafters of the Charter anticipated that changes might be required and provided, in Article 109 of the Charter, for the convening of a conference of U.N. member states to review the Charter at least at the 10-year mark of its entry into force. That conference was never convened. Article 108 of the Charter provided for formal amendment of the Charter which has occurred on three occasions. One involved enlargement of the Security Council and two involved enlargement of the Economic and Social Council. Congress has also sought change at the United Nations. Recent congressional efforts, especially in the post-cold war era, have been directed toward a more effective and efficient organization that works within budgetary constraints.

Kassebaum-Solomon Provisions

Between 1985 and 1988, a number of factors combined to create concern among some in Congress over the use of regular budget funds and the direction of voting in the U.N. General Assembly. Some in Congress viewed many U.N. member states as voting "against" the United States in the Assembly. In 1985, Congress adopted the Kassebaum-Solomon amendment (Section 143, Foreign Relations Authorization Act, FY1986-1987, H.R. 2068 , P.L. 99-93 , August 17, 1985) that reduced U.S. assessed contributions by 20% unless steps were taken by the United Nations to give the major contributors to the U.N. regular budget an influence on budget questions proportionate to their rates of assessment.

In December 1985, in response to the issues raised by the Kassebaum-Solomon amendment and accompanying congressional debate, the U.N. General Assembly established a Group of High-Level Intergovernmental Experts to "review the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning" of the United Nations and to offer recommendations for streamlining the organization. This Group of 18 proposed 71 recommendations, most of which were approved by the 1986 Assembly session. In addition, the 1986 Assembly adopted a revised "planning, programming and budgeting process" that sought to ensure an influential role for major contributing countries by, among other changes, using consensus as a basic decision-making mechanism.

On December 22, 1987, Congress recognized that both the U.N. membership and the U.N. Secretary-General had started to respond to its concerns. Title VII of the State Department Authorization Act, FY1988-1989, H.R. 1777 , P.L. 100-204 , created a new payment schedule that tied full funding of U.S. contributions to the U.N. regular budget to further progress toward reform by providing that

40% of the contribution could be paid on October 1, of each year; a second 40% could be paid when the President certified that progress was being made in implementing U.N. reform in three areas:

(1) consensus decision-making on budget questions,

(2) reductions in U.N. secretariat staffing, and

(3) reductions in the number of Soviet U.N. employees on fixed-term contracts.

the remaining 20% could be paid 30 days after Congress had received the certification, unless Congress passed a joint resolution prohibiting the payment.

Although no deadline was given for submission of the President's certification report, release of up to 60% of the funds appropriated for the U.N. regular budget was dependent on submission of the report and its acceptance by Congress.

On September 13, 1988, President Reagan certified that progress had been made, and announced release of an initial $44 million in calendar year 1987 regular budget contributions to the United Nations; a later certification resulted in release of $144 million in calendar year 1988 regular budget funds. Reagan also called on the State Department to develop a plan to pay over $500 million in arrears to the entire U.N. system over the next three to five years. It would take several years, however, for the U.S. arrears built up over time to be paid to the United Nations.

Office of Internal Oversight Services

In 1993, Congress provided that 10% of the U.S. assessed contribution to the U.N. regular budget be available only when the Secretary of State had certified to Congress that "the United Nations has established an independent office with responsibilities and powers substantially similar to offices of Inspectors General authorized by the Inspector General Act of 1978." Many in Congress believed that an independent mechanism was needed to reduce and eliminate instances of "waste, fraud, and abuse" at the United Nations. On November 16, 1993, U.S. Ambassador Madeleine Albright proposed that the United Nations establish such a post. On July 29, 1994, the General Assembly established an Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) headed by an Under-Secretary General appointed by the U.N. Secretary-General with the approval of the General Assembly. Eleven annual reports on the activities of the office through June 30, 2005, have been submitted to the General Assembly, and the office has undertaken an increasing number of monitoring, auditing, and investigative activities.

The Helms-Biden Agreement and Payment of Arrears

The U.S. government pressed for U.N. reform in the 1990s, linking payment of past arrears to reforms. These arrears, to both the United Nations, U.N. specialized agencies, and a few non-U.N. organizations originated from the non-payments of the mid-1980s; others derived from the placement of a cap on U.S. contributions to U.N. peacekeeping account contributions. High-level negotiations between the Clinton Administration and congressional leaders led to agreement on an arrearage payment plan linked to reform "benchmarks," popularly known as the Helms-Biden agreement. The 106 th Congress enacted P.L. 106-113 including the Helms-Biden agreement conditioning arrears payments on U.N. reforms.

P.L. 106-113 incorporated the Helms-Biden agreement and authorized appropriations for payment of some U.S. arrears to international organizations provided certain conditions were met and certified by the Secretary of State. The agreement authorized payment of $819 million ($100 million of FY1998 funds, $475 million of FY1999 funds, and $244 million of FY2000 funds), and authorized $107 million owed by the United Nations to the United States for peacekeeping to be forgiven provided the United Nations applied the $107 million to reduce U.S. peacekeeping account arrears.

Among the U.S. conditions was reduction of U.S. regular budget assessments to 22% (from 25%) and reduction of U.S. peacekeeping assessments to 25% (from about 30%). In December 2000, the U.N. General Assembly agreed on a financial restructuring of both the regular and peacekeeping assessment structures. As a result the U.S. share of the regular budget was reduced from 25% to 22% and for peacekeeping from about 30.4% to 28.14%, initially, and falling in subsequent years to about 26.5% currently.

Task Force on the United Nations

Appropriations legislation ( P.L. 108-447 ) for FY2005 included a provision directing that $1.5 million of the money appropriated for the U.S. Institute for Peace be used for the expenses of a Task Force on the United Nations. The institute was directed to create a task force consisting of no more than a total of 12 experts to study U.N. efforts to meet the goals of its Charter and recommend an actionable agenda for the United States on the United Nations. The Task Force was co-chaired by former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich and former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell. The Task Force report was released on June 15, 2005. Among its recommendations, the Task Force suggested creation of an Independent Oversight Board and a Chief Operating Officer; authorizing the U.N. Secretary-General to replace top officials without Assembly approval; sunset provisions for all programs and activities; disclosure standards for top officials; greater independence for the Department of Peacekeeping; and improvement of the U.N. capacity to stop genocide and mass killing.

Congress and U.N. Reform: 2005-2006

On June 17, 2005, the House, by a vote of 221 to 184, passed H.R. 2745 , the Henry J. Hyde United Nations Reform Act of 2005. The wide-ranging and complex measure would require numerous State Department certifications and reports. The measure would withhold 50% of U.S. assessed dues to the U.N. regular budget beginning with calendar year 2007 (financed from U.S. FY2008 funds), if 32 of 40 changes were not in place, including 15 mandatory reforms. Among the changes sought by the legislation were changing funding for 18 U.N. programs to be totally voluntary; creation of an independent Oversight Board; establishment of a U.N. Office of Ethics; barring membership on human rights bodies to countries under U.N. investigation for human rights abuses; reduction in funding for U.N. General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services as well as for public information; and reform in U.N. peacekeeping and establishment of a Peacebuilding Commission. No new or expanded peacekeeping operations would be allowed until the Secretary of State had certified that U.N. peacekeeping reforms had been achieved.

During floor debate on H.R. 2745 in 2005, a number of additional provisions were adopted including limiting U.S. contributions to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA); calling for zero nominal growth in the assessed budgets of the United Nations and its specialized agencies; requiring the Independent Oversight Board to evaluate the final report of the Independent Inquiry Committee on the Oil for Food Program; requiring the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to provide Congress with a report on all U.S. contributions to the United Nations; and calling for lifting the prohibition on use of gratis military personnel. The Bush Administration expressed reservations about the House legislation because of its withholding provisions and because it would infringe on the President's authority to carry out foreign affairs. H.R. 2745 , as passed by the House, was included in H.R. 2601 , Foreign Relations Authorization for FY2006 and 2007 as passed by the House on July 20, 2005.

A U.N. reform measure was also introduced in the Senate, S. 1383 . The Senate measure would allow the President to withhold 50% of U.S. contributions to the United Nations if the President determined that the United Nations was not making sufficient progress on reforms. No Foreign Relations Authorization Act was passed in 2005.

Reform Initiatives in the United Nations155

In 1997, Kofi Annan, after being elected U.N. Secretary-General on a reform platform, announced a two-track reform program. The first track included immediate managerial changes within the Secretary-General's authority to execute, while the second track included reform measures requiring consultation and/or approval by U.N. member governments. Among the first track initiatives were reducing the budget, staffing levels, and documentation; creating a code of conduct for U.N. staff; reorienting the Department of Public Information; consolidating administrative, financial, personnel, procurement and other services; consolidating economic and social departments; streamlining technical support; and improving integration of development activities at the country level.

Second track proposals focused on U.N. core missions and on improving management and efficiency. They included creating a new management and leadership structure by establishing a Deputy Secretary-General, a Senior Management Group, and a Strategic Planning Unit; overhauling human resources policies and practices including changing the management culture, eliminating 1,000 jobs and reducing administrative costs; and promoting sustainable development as a central U.N. priority. The proposals also called for improving peacekeeping and strengthening post-conflict peace-building capacity; bolstering international efforts to combat crime, drugs, and terrorism by consolidating activities in Vienna; establishing a Department for Disarmament and Arms Regulation; enhancing humanitarian activities by replacing the Department of Humanitarian Affairs; and revamping public information functions. The proposals also called for the following: refocusing the work of the General Assembly on priority issues and reducing the length of sessions; establishing a ministerial-level commission to review the U.N. Charter and specialized agency constitutions; and designating the General Assembly session in the year 2000 as "a Millennium Assembly" to focus on preparing the United Nations for the 21 st century.

The U.N. General Assembly in 1997 affirmed many policy formulations and management changes proposed by Secretary-General Annan including establishing a Deputy Secretary-General post. In December 2000, the U.N. General Assembly authorized implementation of results based budgeting for the 2003-2003 biennium budget. On June 29, 2001, Secretary-General Annan was elected to a second five-year term, to start January 1, 2002. Urging the United Nations to align its activities to doing what matters in the 21 st century, in September 2002, Secretary-General Annan submitted a report, Strengthening of the United Nations: An Agenda for Further Change, calling for additional reforms.

On December 2, 2004, a group appointed by the Secretary-General, called the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges, and Change, issued its report, A More Secure World: Our Shared Responsibility. The report acknowledged failures and shortcomings in the organization and offered many recommendations for significant changes including enlarging the Security Council, creating a Peacebuilding Commission, and strengthening the role of the Secretary-General. Many of these recommendations required implementation by U.N. member states. Drawing on some of the proposals in the High-level Panel's report, the Secretary-General on March 21, 2005, issued his own report, In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All. The Secretary-General hoped that these reform proposals would form the basis for discussion and final decision at a U.N. summit, scheduled for September 2005.

This meeting, at the start of the 60 th session of the General Assembly, also commemorated the organization's 60 th anniversary. The 2005 U.N. Summit, meeting September 14-16, 2005, agreed, without a vote, to the 2005 World Summit Outcome resolution, which included some reform measures, but the details of such measures were mainly left for continued discussions during the 60 th and into the 61 st (starting in September 2006) session of the U.N. General Assembly.

The Bush Administration also expressed support for U.N. reforms. It called for measures to improve internal oversight and accountability, to identify cost savings, and to allocate resources to high priority programs and offices. It expressed support for creation of a Peacebuilding Commission, for replacement of the Commission on Human Rights with a smaller action-oriented Human Rights Council, and support for a Democracy Fund (originally proposed by President Bush in September 2004). The U.S. government expressed its openness to Security Council reform and expansion, but not at the expense of effectiveness.

As of August 9, 2006, several reform measures have been put into place. These include creation of the Peacebuilding Commission, establishment and operation of a new U.N. Human Rights Council to replace the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, U.N. Democracy Fund, U.N. Ethics Office, strengthened financial disclosure requirements and whistleblower protections, and Central Emergency Response Fund. In addition, the General Assembly has held at least 20 meetings of an Informal Plenary on Mandate Review. This review involves 9,000 mandates that are five years or older, with the goal of eliminating or reducing those tasks no longer relevant. No decisions have been taken as a result of this review. (See CRS Report RL33848, United Nations Reform: U.S. Policy and International Perspectives , by [author name scrubbed], for a further and updated discussion of U.N. reform issues.)

Appendix A. Tables on U.S. Contributions: FY2004-FY2009

Appendix B. Chronology of Major Actions in Calendar Years 2008 and 2009 Relating to U.S. Funding for the U.N. System

Appendix C. Congress and Funding the U.N. System: FY2004-FY2005

Assessed Budgets

FY2004

For FY2004, President Bush requested $1,010,000,000 for the CIO account, of which $745.8 million was for assessed contributions to U.N. system organizations (of which $340.7 million was for the U.N. regular budget), and $550.2 million for assessed contributions to the CIPA account.

On September 5, 2003, the Senate Appropriations Committee, reporting in S.Rept. 108-144 on S. 1585 , making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, recommended $921,888,000 for the CIO account and $482,649,000 for the CIPA account. The committee deleted $71,429,000 requested funding for a U.S. return to membership in the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), noting that the committee did not consider UNESCO reformed. The committee directed that the Inspector General of the Department of State conduct an annual audit of UNESCO to determine the status of reform, the qualifications of UNESCO's staff, its procedures for hiring and promoting personnel, a detailed breakdown of expenditures, and how U.S. membership would advance the goals of the UNESCO and U.S. priorities.

The Senate Appropriations Committee also deleted $11,779,000 from requested funding for the U.N. regular budget because the committee did not want to provide funding for the U.N. Commission on Human Rights which, in its view, had too long been dominated by known human rights violators. In addition, of the funds made available for the U.S. contribution to the U.N. regular budget, $10 million was to be used to reimburse New York City for unanticipated costs in providing protection to foreign officials associated with the United Nations in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. The committee also expressed its views on war crimes tribunals, directing the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) to complete its work by 2004 and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to complete its work by 2006. The committee also expressed its support for the Special Court for Sierra Leone and Directed the U.N. Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) to provide the necessary support for the Court.

On July 23, 2003, the House, by a vote of 400 in favor, to 21 against, passed H.R. 2799 , making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State for FY2004, providing the requested $1.010 billion for assessed contributions to international organizations (CIO) and $550.2 million for assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping activities (CIPA). In its report ( H.Rept. 108-221 ) on this measure, the House Committee on Appropriations had included the full amount requested by the President for a U.S. return to membership in UNESCO. The committee noted that it expected the Department of State to work aggressively to ensure that UNESCO employs more Americans, especially at senior levels. The committee also noted that if the 2004-2005 UNESCO budget is increased, that increase should focus on management and administrative reforms identified by the General Accounting Office. The committee urged the Department of State to consider the appointment of a single representative with the rank of ambassador to represent the United States at UNESCO and at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, both at Paris, France. During floor debate on H.R. 2799 , an amendment offered by Representative Ron Paul to strike funding for UNESCO was defeated by a vote of 145 in favor of the amendment to 279 against the amendment.

P.L. 108-199 ( H.R. 2673 , signed January 23, 2004), the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2004, included $1,010,463,000 for U.S. contributions to international organizations (CIO) account, and $550,200,000 for U.S. contributions to U.N. peacekeeping activities (CIPA) account, as requested by the President. The measure included a requirement that non-defense spending be cut by 0.59% across the board.

FY2005

On February 2, 2004, the Bush Administration requested $1.194 billion for U.S. assessed Contributions to International Organizations (CIO), of which $819 million was for assessed U.N. system organizations including $362.2 million for the U.N. regular budget and $6 million for the U.N. Capital Master Plan, a loan subsidy relating to the renovation of the U.N. headquarters complex in New York. In addition, he requested $650 million for assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping activities (CIPA).

On July 1, 2004, the House Committee on Appropriations reported H.R. 4754 as an original measure. The committee recommended full funding of the request for CIO and CIPA. The committee expressed its support for the U.S. policy of zero nominal growth budgets for international organizations and noted that if the United Nations proposed exceeding its $3.16 billion biennial budget, the committee should be notified before consideration and adoption of such a proposal. While recommending full payment of U.S. assessed U.N. budget dues, the committee expressed concern about allegations of corruption in the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program. It noted that the United Nations needed to do more about the crises in Sudan. It also expressed concern over charges of sexual abuse of minors by some associated with U.N. peacekeeping operations. The committee included $6 million for costs of a direct loan of up to $1.2 billion to the United Nations for renovating U.N. headquarters in New York.

On July 8, 2004, the House, by a vote of 397 to 18, passed H.R. 4754 , appropriating $1.194 billion for U.S. assessed Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) and $650 million for U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping activities (CIPA). During House floor consideration of the bill, a number of amendments were offered to reduce or cut CIO funding. On July 7, 2004, Representative Ron Paul's amendment to prohibit funds for UNESCO failed by a vote of 135 to 333, and his amendment to prohibit U.S. contributions to the United Nations or U.N. affiliated agencies failed by a vote of 83 to 335. The next day, Representative Smith's (Michigan) amendment to reduce CIO funding by $20 million to express concern about the alleged corruption in the U.N. Oil-for-Food program failed by a vote of 129 to 291.

On September 15, 2004, the Senate Committee on Appropriations reported ( S.Rept. 108-344 ) on S. 2809 , funding the Departments of Commerce, Justice and State for FY2005. The committee recommendation of $1.020 billion for U.S. assessed Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) was $173,380,000 below the amount requested by the Administration; and the $574 million recommended for assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping activities (CIPA) was $76 million below the amount requested by the Administration. The committee recommended allocation of $70 million for the IAEA, $12.7 million for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), $1.35 million for the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and $1.1 million for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The committee also recommended $6 million to subsidize the cost of a $1.2 billion loan to the United Nations for renovation of its headquarters. The committee also recommended that the Department of State urge the United Nations to make available to congressional committees investigating the Oil-for-Food program all relevant documents, and ensure that the Volcker Inquiry was conducted rigorously.

The conference committee in H.Rept. 108-792 , expressed concern that the U.N. Oil for Food Program was marred by allegations of corruption and that it abetted a tyrannical regime and undermined the international community's good will. It directed the Department of State to bring all necessary resources to bear on investigation of the Oil for Food Program and provide all requested documents to the U.S. Congress and to provide any requested assistance to the U.N. Secretary-General's Independent Inquiry Committee.

P.L. 108-447 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY2005 included $1.182 billion for U.S. assessed contributions to international organizations (CIO) account of which up to $6.0 million may be used for the cost of a direct loan of up to $1.2 billion to the United Nations for renovating U.N. headquarters in New York; and $490 million for assessed contribution to U.N. peacekeeping activities (CIPA) account. The Secretary of State was to provide the appropriations committees with a copy of the most recent U.N. biennium budget and to notify the Committees of any United Nations action to increase funding for any U.N. program without identifying an offsetting decrease elsewhere in the U.N. budget. This caused the United Nations to exceed its adopted biennium budget for the 2004-2005 of $3.16 billion. The measure included a rescission of 0.54% for any discretionary account in the act.

As already discussed, the measure directed that $1.5 million of the money appropriated for the U.S. Institute for Peace be used for the expenses of a Task Force on the United Nations. The institute was to create the task force consisting of no more than a total 12 experts drawn from the American Enterprise Institute, Brookings Institution, Council on Foreign Relations, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Hoover Institution, and the Heritage Foundation. The task force was to study U.N. efforts to meet the goals of its Charter and submit its report within 180 days of enactment.

U.N. Voluntary Programs

FY2004

President Bush requested $314.6 million for FY2004 for voluntary contributions to the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account. An additional $50 million was requested for IAEA voluntary contributions in another account.

On July 23, 2003, the House, by a vote of 370 to 50, passed H.R. 2800 , making appropriations for foreign operations including $194,550,000 for voluntary contributions to the IO&P account. H.R. 2800 included $120 million for UNICEF and $52.9 million for voluntary IAEA programs in other accounts. During House consideration, an amendment by Representative Nadler to withhold funds for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) failed when a point of order was sustained against it.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY2004 ( P.L. 108-199 , signed January 23, 2004) included $321,650,000 for voluntary contributions to the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account, including $120 million for UNICEF and $102 million for the U.N. Development Program (UNDP). Appropriated in another account was $53 million for voluntary contributions to the IAEA.

FY2005

The Administration requested $304.45 million for voluntary contributions for the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account for FY2005. In addition, $53 million was requested for voluntary contributions to IAEA in another account.

On July 13, 2004, the House Appropriations Committee reported ( H.Rept. 108-599 ) H.R. 4818 as an original measure. The committee recommended $323.45 million for voluntary contributions to the international organizations and programs (IO&P) account, $19 million more than requested by the Administration. The committee recommended not less than $107 million for UNDP; not less than $7 million for the U.N. Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture; not less than $125 million for UNICEF; and $3 million for UNIFEM (of which $1 million would be for a first time contribution to the Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence Against Women).

On July 15, 2004, the House, by a vote of 365 to 41, passed H.R. 4818 , including $323.45 million for U.S. voluntary contributions to the international organizations and programs (IO&P) account. The bill included $53 million for a voluntary contribution to the IAEA in another account. During House floor debate on H.R. 4818 , Representative Buyer introduced an amendment that prohibited any funds appropriated by this measure to be used by any U.S. government official to request the United Nations to assess the validity of elections in the United States. The amendment was agreed to by a vote of 243 to 161.

P.L. 108-447 included for FY2005, $319,494,000 for voluntary contributions to the International Organizations and Programs account (IO&P) as well as $53 million for voluntary contributions to IAEA appropriated in another account.

U.N. Peacekeeping Operations

FY2004

P.L. 108-199 , appropriating funds for the State Department, included $550.2 million for FY2004 U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping activities (CIPA), the amount requested by the President.

FY2005

The Administration requested $650 million for FY2005 for U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping operations. Another $780 million was requested for U.N. peacekeeping in supplemental FY2005 appropriations. H.R. 1268 , signed May 11, 2005, as P.L. 109-13 , included $680 million. The State Department Appropriations Act, FY2005, P.L. 108-447 , included $490 million for FY2005 U.S. assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping activities.

Appendix D. The United Nations System: An Organizational Chart

Source: http://www.un.org/aboutun/chart_en.pdf .