U.S. Support for the United Nations:
Engagement, Innovation and Renewal

Fact Sheet

The UN remains a critical instrument for the advancement of important U.S. foreign policy objectives.

U.S. Engagement with the United Nations

The United States is the largest financial supporter of the UN, which is involved in critical issues relating to peace and security, human rights, humanitarian assistance, economic development, environmental protection, and health. In 2001, the United States contributed about 3.5 billion in assessed and voluntary contributions to the UN system. The United States also contributes military observers or police officers to eight UN missions, and U.S. troops work in cooperation with UN operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, and East Timor.

In November 1999, the U.S. enacted legislation enabling the payment of $926 million to cover U.S. arrears to the United Nations in three stages, based on accomplishment of key UN reforms and other changes. Since then, the U.S. government has made substantial progress toward achieving these goals, including reductions in the U.S. share of the UN's regular and peacekeeping budgets and securing the placement of an American on the UN's advisory budget panel. These gains have allowed the U.S. to pay $602 million of its arrears; the last payment of $244 million will likely be made in late 2002.

[Also see the section on Financing in the United Nations Fact Sheet.]

U.S. Support for Innovation at the UN

The United States has promoted innovative efforts designed to equip the UN to meet the challenges of the new Century. These include:

Peacekeeping. The U.S. worked with other member states to approve the major recommendations of the Secretary General’s blue-ribbon panel on peacekeeping reform, such as improved UN planning capacity, better training and equipment for UN troops operating in uncertain environments and greater efforts to develop the building blocks for political transitions -- judicial institutions, electoral systems, economic development -- so that the end of war can be turned into lasting peace. The U.S. has also promoted initiatives to train peacekeepers from African countries, provided more than 800 civilian police (one of the largest contingents in the UN)-- who are critical to ensuring community-level protection of civilians in post-conflict environments, and given short-term transitional aid and longer term development assistance through the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Accountability. The United States is the largest contributor to the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda.  The U.S. also helped sponsor creation of the Sierra Leone Court and has continued to promote a special court for Cambodia.

Human Dimension of Security Issues. The United States has successfully pressed the UN Security Council and other UN institutions to recognize more effectively the human dimension of security issues. The U.S. focus on HIV/AIDS and the exploitation of women and children has cast a light on a previously ignored dimension of human suffering, and the United States is leading international efforts to enhance funding and support to fight
infectious diseases.

U.S. Support for Renewal of the UN. The United States has led efforts to improve the institutional capacity of the UN to do its job. The United States played a key role along with other member states in establishing the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services, which has worked to promote greater efficiency by providing audit, investigative, and inspection services similar to those of inspectors general in the U.S. federal government. Through such efforts, the organization has identified nearly $200 million in waste and fraud and issued more than 5,000 recommendations to improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness.  The U.S. will continue its drive to assure that UN activities are carried out in the most efficient and effective ways possible. These efforts include human resource management reforms and implementation of performance-based management principles.

Updated February 2002