US Funding of UN 1-7-26

In 2025, the U.S. paid significant amounts to the UN, including a major $2 billion pledge for humanitarian aid in late December and hundreds of millions in assessed contributions, despite some funding rescissions earlier in the year, with the US still owing substantial arrears (around $1.5 billion) on its mandatory assessments for the regular and peacekeeping budgets. 

Key Payments & Pledges in 2025:

Humanitarian Aid: A $2 billion pledge was announced in December 2025 for UN-led relief programs in crisis-stricken countries, described as a significant commitment.

Assessed Contributions: The U.S. is assessed for the UN's core budget and peacekeeping, though it often pays less than its full assessment due to domestic caps.

Funding Rescissions: Congress rescinded nearly $200 million from UN-related funds earlier in 2025, impacting various UN activities.

Remaining Balances: By late 2025, the U.S. still owed roughly $1.5 billion in arrears for mandatory contributions, creating cash flow issues for the UN. 

Context:

The U.S. is the largest contributor to the UN system but faces ongoing debates over funding levels, with recent administrations cutting foreign aid.

These funds cover both mandatory assessed budgets (regular, peacekeeping) and voluntary contributions (humanitarian, development agencies). 

 In 2025, the United States

 substantially altered its financial relationship with the United Nations, moving toward a model of reduced contributions and selective funding. While final figures for the full calendar year are still being tallied as of January 2026, the key funding components are as follows: 

 Assessed Contributions (Mandatory Dues) 

The U.S. remained the largest assessed contributor but withheld a significant portion of its required payments. 

 Regular Budget: The U.S. assessment was approximately $820.4 million (representing 22% of the UN's $3.72 billion total budget). However, reports as late as December 2025 indicated the U.S. had not made its full payments for the 2024 or 2025 regular budgets, contributing to over $1.5 billion in total accumulated arrears.

 Peacekeeping: The U.S. was assessed at 26.15% for the 2025-2026 peacekeeping budget ($5.4 billion total), but a domestic legislative cap limited payments to 25%. In October 2025, the administration transferred approximately $680 million in remaining FY2025 peacekeeping funds to the UN. 

 Voluntary & Humanitarian Funding

In late December 2025, the U.S. announced a landmark shift in its voluntary funding model: 

 Humanitarian Pledge: The U.S. pledged $2 billion for UN humanitarian programs for 17 crisis-hit countries. This represents a sharp decrease from previous years, where voluntary contributions traditionally reached between $8 billion and $17 billion.

 Selective Allocation: This $2 billion is designated as an "initial anchor commitment" or a floor for a longer-term partnership, with the administration warning that UN agencies must "adapt or die" through increased efficiency and reform. 

 Rescissions and Arrears

Funding Cuts: In July 2025, Congress enacted P.L. 119-28, which rescinded over $560 million in combined funding for international organizations and peacekeeping activities.

Accumulated Debt: As of late 2025, the U.S. total outstanding balance to the UN (including past years' arrears) was estimated at $1.5 billion for the regular budget and $2.4 billion for peacekeeping operations. 

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Comments

The UN routinely delivered Humanitarian Aid to Hamas.  The UN routinely failed in their Peacekeeping Operations. The UN is broke. The US needs to defund the UN Peacekeeping Operations.

There is no enforceable “International Law”.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader