In absolute terms, the U. The U. These four countries contribute approximately 50 percent of the total funding, and the top 32 funders account for 95 percent. The funding picture looks quite different when translated into per capita terms, as in Figure 2. Among the top three absolute funders in Figure 1, the U. Note that some smaller funders with sizeable per capita contributions are not included in the figure.
Vertical columns sum to percent from top to bottom, with darker shades of green indicating larger shares of organizational funding.
Related Content Report Who funds which multilateral organizations? At the same time, there are areas of genuine inefficiency that should be tackled. In this article we answer some basic questions, and address some common misconceptions, about how the UN pays for itself.
There are three main sources of UN funding: assessed contributions , the peacekeeping contributions , and voluntary contributions. Assessed contribution s by UN member states are supposed to fund what is often called the 'regular' UN budget. This is intended to cover core costs arising from the work of the UN's principal organs and main offices, as well as some programme costs.
The amount paid by each member state is calculated according to a precise formula, detailed here , which essentially apportions costs to member states according to their ability to pay. It does this by allocating costs proportionately according to an average of the Gross National Income GNI of each state over the past 3 years and 6 years. Adjustments are then made to ensure:.
It is calculated according to another formula , which is also based upon ability to pay, but is more pro-active in protecting poorer countries from costs. These two types of contribution are compulsory. A country that falls more than two years into arrears should, in principle, have its vote at the General Assembly taken away from it. However, in practice states are often able to persuade the UN that there were extenuating circumstances behind their inability to pay, and so avoid this sanction.
Throughout much of the s, the US refused to pay the full amount it owed. However a combination of skilful negotiation and careful management of the size of their arrears meant that the US never lost its General Assembly vote.
In addition to these levies, member states can choose to make voluntary contributions to UN programmes. Some funds and program are supported solely through such optional payments, like the World Food Programme. The UN has categorized high level spending into five general groups , which allows analysis of expenditures without diving into the intricacies of individual agency and programme budgets.
The majority of funds end up in humanitarian and development assistance. Humanitarian assistance is short-term help provided in the case of natural or man-made disasters, while development assistance focuses on promoting sustainable development and long-term impacts.
Peacekeeping operations are the third highest category of expenses, while the somewhat obscure categories of normative, treaty-related and knowledge-creation activities and technical cooperation round out the last two. Technical cooperation consists of funds that cannot be linked to development, while treaty-related and knowledge-creation activities reflect a broad category that includes establishing standards and policies, work related to international agreements and treaties, and research.
By providing your email, you agree to the Quartz Privacy Policy. The peacekeeping budget cycle runs from 1 July to 30 June. This cycle is rarely aligned with the Security Council mandate; however budgets are prepared for 12 months based on of the most current mandate of the operation. Ultimately, the budget is endorsed by the General Assembly as a whole. At the end of the financial cycle, each peacekeeping operation prepares and submits a performance report which shows the actual use of resources.
This report is also considered and approved by the General Assembly. More on the process of establishing peacekeeping operation budget. The UN has no military forces of its own, and Member States provide, on a voluntary basis, the military and police personnel required for each peacekeeping operation.
Peacekeeping soldiers are paid by their own Governments according to their own national rank and salary scale. Police and other civilian personnel are paid from the peacekeeping budgets established for each operation.
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