U.S. Contributions to the UN

The Better World Campaign reported at the end of June that the Congress had approved a US$665 million to the United Nations and international organizations in its Supplementary Appropriation Bill. That contribution should reduce the U.S. debt to the United Nations family of organizations to $1.734 billion.

As approved by Congress, the supplemental funding bill includes $524 million to help address U.S. shortfalls to critical UN peacekeeping missions, including more than $334 million for the UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur, Sudan (UNAMID) and another $190 million for peacekeeping missions to countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Haiti, Liberia, and Sudan.

The approved legislation also includes $141 million for the U.S. government’s Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) account, which will finance U.S. contributions to the UN assistance missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. The CIO account also supports the UN’s core funding and key peace and security organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organization.

I am also informed that for the seventh year in a row the U.S. is to its withhold contribution to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).