Funding the UN; or: How the US gives money to the world's "limp wrist"

[Mick Donalds]

In one of its last actions of the year, the United Nations General Assembly on Christmas Eve agreed to extend for another three years the formula that has U.S. taxpayers contributing more than one-fifth of the world body’s regular budget.

No member-state called for a recorded vote, and the resolution confirming the contributions that each country will make for the 2013-2015 period was summarily adopted. The assembly also approved a two-year U.N. budget of $5.4 billion.

The U.S. has accounted for 22 percent of the total regular budget every year since 2000, and will now continue to do so for the next three years.

The U.S. representative for U.N. management and reform, Joseph Torsella, expressed satisfaction that the U.S. contribution had not been raised above that level.

The United States is very pleased to have maintained the critical 22 percent ceiling for U.S. contributions to the U.N. regular budget, protecting U.S. taxpayers from the additional bills – estimated to be at least $300 million annually in both the regular and peacekeeping budgets – that would have resulted from an increase in the U.S. ceiling level,†he said.

Two months ago, when the General Assembly’s budget committee was meeting on the issue, Torsella noted that since the last time the budget contribution formula was reviewed, “developing countries have continued their impressive economic growth.â€

“Countries whose economies have grown should welcome the opportunity to become a larger stakeholder in the work of the organization,†he said.

Torsella also reminded that meeting that since the creation of the U.N., a fundamental principle that has governed the budget contribution process has been “the avoidance of overreliance upon any one contributor.â€

What constitutes “overreliance†is not defined, however. Between them the U.S. and Japan contribute one-third of the total budget – and roughly the same as the next seven countries combined.

The 193 U.N. member-states’ contributions are assessed according to their relative “capacity to pay,†based on population size and gross national income (converted to U.S. dollars at market exchange rates). The ceiling is 22 percent while the bottom level is 0.001 percent, which over the next three years will apply to more than 30 of the world’s poorest countries.

Whether a country contributes less than $25,000 a year towards the budget or more than $500 million – as the U.S. does – it has the same voting privileges in the General Assembly.

Moreover, as Heritage Foundation scholar Brett Schaefer has pointed out, countries that together pay less than 1.3 percent of the total are able, under U.N. voting rules, to pass the budget over the objections of countries that contribute a combined 98 percent.

According to the resolution adopted on Monday, the biggest contributors after the U.S. for the 2013-2015 period are Japan (10.83 percent), Germany (7.14 percent), France (5.59 percent), Britain (5.18 percent) and China (5.15 percent).

The next tier includes Italy (4.45 percent), Canada (2.98 percent), Spain (2.97 percent), Brazil (2.93 percent), Russia (2.44 percent) and Australia (2.07 percent). No other country pays as much as two percent, and most pay below one percent.

Some developing countries have seen relatively significant increases in their assessments: China, the world’s second-largest economy, will pay 5.15 percent, up from 3.12 last time; the Russian contribution has risen to 2.44 percent from 1.60 percent; Brazil’s 2.93 percent is an increase from 1.61.

India’s increase in U.N. contributions is more modest – from 0.53 to 0.66 percent – while Japan, Canada and European countries including Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain will contribute a smaller percentage over the next three years than they have over the past three.

Before 2000, the U.S. contributed 25 percent of the U.N. regular budget, but it was reduced to 22 percent in line with legislation passed by the U.S. Congress in 1999. The U.S. still pays 25 percent of the separate peacekeeping budget.

If you are an American, you ought to be absolutely disgusted and mortified after reading this. Unbelievable. Absolutely vile and digusting.

We need to cut the budget time now and give them 30 days to evacuate the office in NY.

 

[Chris]

What's the source for this?

 

[Mick Donalds]

I quoted it from cnsnews.com, but betterworldcampaign.org verifies the statistics.

 

[Troy]

Australia paying 2% means that we actually pay a higher percentage of GDP to the UN compared to the US. US GDP is the equivalent to 1/5th of the World's GDP so I can see why US are paying around 22% but that doesn't mean that I think it is right.

I can understand the concept of ability to pay but it should have been altered a bit more than it has. There shouldn't be so much reliance on such few countries and it should be spread out more evenly especially since voting power doesn't change no matter how much you put in. Hopefully in three years time there is a more even distribution of who funds the UN.

The UN does serve a purpose and it has prevented another World War which was it's original goal but mostly it is just a waste of space.

 

[Slim]

This is beyond absurd. The US is in a terrible debt, the economy absolutely sucks. I mean 22%? And China... pretty much the largest country population wise, and second in technology, ever on the rise is only paying a modest... very very modest 5%. I'm sorry... but that is bullshit.

But not only that but voting power remains the same through all countries no matter if you putting yourself even more in debt than you already are or just writing a check like... heh yeah that was easy. That is beyond crazy. UN needs something done to even things out. I mean yeah I can see US, Japan being the top two but China needs to step their big giant arrogant asses up to be number 3. They wanna be number 1 in the world... fork over the cash to the UN instead of having us do it. Hell beat out Japan, beat out the other countries. This is just... stupid.

I am actually very bothered by that.

 

[Mick Donalds]

the United abomiNations is the world's "limp dick."

It's time for the US to pull every penny out of the organization, raze the building to the ground and leave the organization. What good does the United abomiNations do us? Absolutely fucking none. Supporting the UN is the same as throwing money on a heap of garbage and burning it.

 

[Troy]

If the US did that it would be a terrible move because it would be ostracised by the rest of the world. Also to be fair the UN has performed extremely well at the main goal of the organisation which is to prevent WWIII and so far it has done that. That is the reason is was set up in place of the League of Nations because that failed to prevent WWII. A lot of the other crap that they do is pointless and just a waste of time and money.

I do think that in three years time when the funding talks start again the US should demand a drop in the percentage that they pay to a more reasonable level. Can't see it dropping below 15% though. Trouble is US were a key player in creating the actual rules and regulations that now get them stuck for paying this large amount.

 

[ThatGuyFromNukemHigh]

I would be pissed off about them having to pay so much, if the 8 years Bush was president they actually paid their dues. The sole reason the US is paying as much as it is, is because they have to make up for the debts of Bush.

The UN also shares the exact same foreign policy as the US, so to take a shot at how the UN handles things, is only taking a shot at the US.

Stop listening to conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones, and try listening to as many point of views as you can find, and learn to come to your own conclussions based off all the stories.

 

[Mick Donalds]

I would be pissed off about them having to pay so much, if the 8 years Bush was president they actually paid their dues. The sole reason the US is paying as much as it is, is because they have to make up for the debts of Bush.
The UN also shares the exact same foreign policy as the US, so to take a shot at how the UN handles things, is only taking a shot at the US.

Stop listening to conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones, and try listening to as many point of views as you can find, and learn to come to your own conclussions based off all the stories.

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, junior, lol.

 

[ThatGuyFromNukemHigh]

You are the one that has no fucking clue about what you are talking about, but if thats the stupid bullshit you feed your mind, then by all means, enjoy your fantasy world.