February 2, 2010

Yesterday, the Obama Administration submitted its FY 2011 budget to Congress, requesting $3.8 trillion in funding, including a total of $3.78 billion for U.S. dues to nearly fifty international organizations and UN peacekeeping. The budget request for both U.S. assessed and voluntary contributions to the UN and other international organizations represents a slight reduction from FY 2010 levels, while the request for UN peacekeeping dues is slightly higher. 

Assessed Contributions to International Organizations

The administration’s budget requests $1.595 billion for U.S. membership dues to the United Nations, UN specialized agencies, and other multilateral organizations, which is $87 million less than the amount provided in the current fiscal year. The decrease is almost entirely due to a one-time credit for UN regular budget dues. The administration’s budget documents explain that, although the UN’s two-year regular budget was increased by 5.5 percent for 2010-11, member states were given a one-time “application of credits resulting from the UN having spent less than was budgeted in previous biennia.” 

Funding requested for this account includes the following: $516.3 million for the UN regular budget, a decrease of $81.2 million from FY 2010 (as noted above); $75.5 million for the renovation of UN Headquarters, the same as FY 2010; $120.1 million for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a $6.8 million increase; $85.2 million for the International Labor Organization (ILO), a $1.2 million increase; $84.8 million for the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a $3.9 million increase; $109.4 million for the World Health Organization (WHO), a $2.8 million increase; $13.4 million for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, a $3.7 million reduction; and $17.3 million for the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, a $3.4 million decrease.

A total of $192.3 million was requested for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), including a $112.8 million assessed contribution and a $79.5 million voluntary contribution. The administration noted that the request “represents a significant increase of the U.S. contribution to the IAEA, continuing the effort to eventually double U.S. financial support to the agency.” United States contributions to the IAEA for the current fiscal year total $166.5 million.

Assessed Contributions for UN Peacekeeping

In committing the United States to “enhancing its engagement across the spectrum of ‘peace operations’”, the administration’s budget requests $2.18 billion for UN peacekeeping dues, an increase of $57.3 million from FY 2010. In its budget documents, the administration notes that UN peacekeeping has increased in scale and complexity, which “has stretched resources and has put current support mechanisms under increasing strain. To succeed, UN missions and contributors need to be better equipped and supported to fulfill ambitious mandates….” To improve the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping, the administration states that it is working to help provide credible and achievable mandates, to increase the availability and capacity of troop contingents, and to mobilize appropriate enabling assets, including in the areas of logistics, transportation, medical, and engineering.

As part of its budget request, the administration is recommending a one-year lifting of the statutory cap on U.S.-UN peacekeeping dues. Congress has temporarily adjusted the cap in recent years to allow the United States to pay in full its share of UN peacekeeping expenses.

Voluntary Contributions to International Organizations

The administration requests a total of $350.6 million to provide U.S. voluntary contributions to UN funds, programs, and other multilateral organizations, a decrease of $43.5 million from FY 2010. Among the organizations that would receive funding under this account are the following: $13.5 million for the UN International Panel on Climate Change, a $500,000 increase; $75.3 million for the UN Development Program (UNDP), a cut of $25.2 million; $11.5 million for the UN Environment Program (UNEP), the same as FY 2010; $50 million for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), a $5 million reduction; and $128 million for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), a $4.3 million decrease. No funding is requested for either the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which received $7 million in FY 2010, or the Trust Fund of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), which received $3 million in the current fiscal year.

Next Step: Congressional Hearings

Over the next several months, Congressional budget, authorizing, and appropriations committees will be holding hearings to examine the President’s request and will begin compiling its own budget. These committees include the House and Senate Budget Committees, chaired by Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) and Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations Committees, chaired by Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), and the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, chaired by Rep. David Obey (D-WI) and Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI).