Commentary and Newsletters

Is $5 billion too much money for the US to be giving annually to the UN? Member states in the UN's budget committee (the Fifth Committee) have now asked the opposite question: is it too little? The decision in 2000 to put a 22% ceiling on donations to the UN is now up for review. Already the G-77 and China are gearing up for a fight. They claim "the rationale for requiring a reduction of the ceiling has not been met." These are the same 132 countries that by virtue of their UN majority derailed proposed basic management reforms this past spring. The 22% ceiling only affects the United States. Without the ceiling, assessed U.S. contributions would be upwards of 30% of the UN budget. Countries that have expressed a desire to review the 22% ceiling on U.S. UN donations include Venezuela, Pakistan and the 20 Latin American countries that make up the Rio Group. Informal negotiations are set to start shortly after countries and blocs submit proposals. Commenting in the context of reform failures, Ambassador John Bolton accurately describes the situation at the UN this way: "it's fun spending other people's money."