The United Nations is the worlds main organization for deliberating matters of peace and security, but its work encompasses far more than peacekeeping and conflict prevention. The participation of young people in the Organization is a priority for her delegation, she said. The annual budget has shortened budgetary procedures, is more responsive to global challenges and leads to a more resultsoriented culture where programme managers are more engaged, and continuous learning and improvement lead to more effective mandate implementation. She then called for ECAs appropriate funding to enable it to foster regional integration and promote international cooperation on Africas development. He applauded the Secretariats efforts to front-load resource requirements for 2023 to maximize efficiency and transparency. However, the share allocated to western Asia has grown the most in recent years. UNDEF funds projects that empower civil society, promote human rights, and encourage the participation of all groups in democratic processes. Who funds the United Nations? - Quartz It will work more towards collective results within the United Nations and with other actors. Following are UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres' remarks, as delivered by Courtenay Rattray, Chef de Cabinet, at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in . UNDEF projects are two years long.. The proposed reductions to the development pillar, especially the Regional Commissions and related Secretariat departments, are concerning, he said. Secondly, he proposed strengthening work in counter-terrorism, which includes an request for an additional $4.4million, including 25 posts, for the Office of Counter-Terrorism, as a conversion from extrabudgetary resources. Therefore, we have to keep a watchful eye on the liquidity situation, he said. Turkeys geography and membership in NATO have long given the country an influential voice in foreign policy, but the assertive policies of President Erdogan have complicated its role. For information media. In welcoming the move to an annual budget cycle and its contributions to a more results-oriented and responsive United Nations, he underscored the need to go further. Turning to the programme budget, he called for its reasonable maintenance; consistently enhanced, comprehensive budgetary performance to save costs and improve efficiency; scrutiny; fiscal discipline; and increased supervision, auditing and accountability. 2023 United Nations Development Programme. He commended the Secretariats decision not to renew the lease for the DC-1 building. Hence, when the country threatens to pull financing for an agency, the UN listens. Despite this, he said he remains frustrated over the limited capacity to support Member States. Peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet. As no savings from efficiencies have been identified or transferred to the Development Account, the Assembly should ask the Secretary-General to present options for funding modalities for future budget submissions that aim to reach a resource level not less than 0.5percent of the overall budget proposal, account for the Accounts evolving resources and ensure delivery on Member States goals and needs. Beyond peacekeeping, Chinas contributions to the United Nations have been largely concentrated in development agencies, specifically WFP, the UN Development Program, and the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. representative to the United Nations, has said that we need to pay our bills to have a seat at the table.. Member States must optimize their work and ensure strong political will to reach consensus within the Programme and Coordination Committee and the Assemblys Main Committees so as to provide the Fifth Committee with the time and ability to effectively translate the intergovernmental process on planning into the intergovernmental process on budget. Turning to the Peacebuilding Fund, she urged the Committee to operationalize and translate the political commitments of Assembly resolution 76/305 into tangible actions that account for the changing peace and security landscape. A proposed programme budget should provide adequate resources for the implementation of programmes under the development pillar, especially those that put the 2030 Agenda back on track, he noted. He also said any attempt to undermine the consensus-based process of programme planning would be unacceptable. The instability ended in 2001 with a compromise between Congress and the United Nations. These mandatory contributions help fund the United Nations regular budget, which covers administrative costs and a few programs, as well as peacekeeping operations. Global Climate Agreements: Successes and Failures, Backgrounder Flexible resources allow UNDP to enable coordinated and rapid responses to development needs and emergencies; provide multi-sectoral responses; enhance thought leadership, innovation and quality assurance; and support countries in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Most voluntary contributions are earmarked by the country for use toward a particular program or location. He noted the large number of socalled addons to the budget this year. For example, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, relied on the United States for about one-third of its budget until the Trump administration halted contributions in 2018. Turning to resource requirements, he said the Organization needs $3.22billion to fully implement its mandates in 2023. As the United Nations' annual meeting gets underway in New York City, one point of tension could be Donald Trump's past threats to cut the organization's funding.. A tangle of resolutions . As the budget document lacks sufficient information and justifications for all proposed positions, including replacement and continuing positions to be funded under general temporary assistance, the Assembly should ask the Secretary-General to include all general temporary assistance positions as a subcategory under post resources and provide, with full justification, detailed information by grade, level, function, date of incumbency and duration. It will also avert another liquidity crisis triggered by returning a large amount of unspent funds to Member States in 2023. Visualizations See all The Economy Personal Finance Business Trade Jobs Taxes Her delegation will work in the spirit of consensus. Renewing America, Backgrounder That should be the exception and not the norm, he stressed, adding that the role of the Programme and Coordination Committee should be upheld, not diluted, and called again for that Committee to reach consensus on all 28 programme plans in the future. In noting the ACABQs observation that some proposals appear similar to those for 2022 and might not reflect the real needs for 2023, he encouraged the Secretariat to ensure that resources are clearly linked to a results-based budget framework and reflect existing mandates. Regarding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), he said ACABQ has contradicted a long-standing Assembly resolution stating that only international staff salaries should be financed by the regular budget. As U.S. contributions declined, China stood out as one of the countries that boosted its commitments to the United Nations. It contributed more than $12 billion in 2021, accounting for just under one-fifth of funding for the bodys collective budget. Noting that several programmes have been left without recommendations from the Committee for Programme and Coordination due to a lack of consensus, he recalled the mandates reflected in paragraph16 of Assembly resolution 76/236 and paragraph9 of resolution 75/243 that if that Committee is not able to provide conclusions and recommendations on a given programme or subprogramme, then the Assembly Plenary or its relevant Main Committee will consider the said subprogramme or programme at the earliest opportunity and provide recommendations to the Fifth Committee no later than four weeks after the start of the session. In 2019, the US contributed more than $11 billion to the United Nations, which is roughly one-fifth of the organization's entire budget. While peacekeeping operations with protection mandates made efforts to mainstream gender into their activities, they fell short of addressing politically motivated physical and non-physical violence targeting women in the context of elections, she noted. The United Nations, referred to informally as the UN, is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and serve as a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations. The document now includes a multi-year account of measurable results. He welcomed the 2023-2025 budget plan outline, which reaffirms the Organizations eight priority areas. The Fifth Committee should continue its support for the seismic mitigation and life-cycle replacements project at the ESCAP Secretariat in Bangkok, which is expected to finish on schedule in December 2023 and will transform the premises into a safe, accessible, sustainable and modern workplace, he urged. 1, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and Corr.1, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 29A, 29B, 29C, 29E, 29F, 29G, 30, 31 and 34). Mr.Guterres said the annual cycle gives Member States an opportunity to provide more frequent direction on resource allocations and align decisions with recent or sudden events, such as the global pandemic. UN Operation Underway to Prevent Catastrophic Oil Spill in Red Sea His delegation will work fully in the Fifth Committee to provide the required resources across the three pillars of the United Nations. Many UN agencies, programs, and missions receive crucial funding from the United States. The budget document is not just a financial and accounting tool. March 23, 2023 Other elements that will affect the overall level of resources, such as ongoing construction projects, will be presented later in the seventy-seventh session. The US is responsible for paying 22% of the UNs general budget, and 28% of the peacekeeping budget. We may earn a commission from links on this page. He then echoed the call to strengthen the development pillar and to provide adequate resources through the regular budget for the Regional Commissions and their subregional offices to ensure a tailored response to the specific needs and priorities of their constituents. Moreover, the Assembly should request the Secretary-General ensure the consistent application of a vacancy rate of 50percent for new posts and positions, including for redeployment between two duty stations; conversions, including from extrabudgetary resources; and reclassification and reassignment with a change in job description and network. Most of this humanitarian and development assistance happens in developing countries. The African Group will work to appropriate the required funding for the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, support to Africa through the African Unions Agenda 2063, Africas social and economic development, and construction and property management, among other items. NEW YORK (September 21, 2022) - During United Nations General Assembly week, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundationalongside governments, philanthropies, the private sector, NGOs, and global and community leadersannounced commitments totaling $1.27B to improve and save millions of lives. ABDALLAH BACHAR BONG, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), introduced the Advisory Committees report, titled First report on the proposed programme budget for 2023 (document A/77/7). Turning to the concern over the annual budget, he said: It would be a big mistake to say that either we have an annual budget that disrespects the intergovernmental process, or we have a biennial budget that respects the intergovernmental process. The essence of intergovernmental processes, he stressed, are mandates. The administrations budget request for the 2023 fiscal year proposes to fully meet U.S. obligations [PDF] to the United Nations and to pay off part of the $1 billion owed in peacekeeping-related arrears. Procedural problems were encountered, and he noted that consultations with the Secretary-General and Member States were successful and his delegations concerns were addressed. By entering your email and clicking subscribe, you're agreeing to receive announcements from CFR about our products and services, as well as invitations to CFR events. The United Nations Foundation is a charitable organization headquartered in Washington, DC, that supports the United Nations and its activities. While largely supporting the budget proposal, he was concerned by several provisions that would move voluntarily funded activities onto the regular budget. He commended the Secretary-Generals proposed budget and noted that the increase for special political missions will enable the scaling up of peacekeeping operations around the world. The United States nearly lost its vote at the General Assembly as millions of dollars in unpaid assessments accrued. Several delegates voiced their concerns that the Secretary-Generals proposed programme planning report did not include recommendations from the Committee for Programme and Coordination for 5 of the 28 programmes, including disarmament, legal affairs, peacekeeping, human rights and refugee assistance. He then commended the significant increase in resources for international and regional development. Differences over Taiwans status have fueled rising tensions between the island and the mainland. A proposed programme budget should provide adequate resources for the implementation of programmes under the development pillar, especially those that put the 2030Agenda for Sustainabl Development back on track, he noted. At the top of that list is the World Food Programme (WFP), which receives $8.3 billion. While working to make even greater progress in this area, he hoped the improved liquidity situation would allow the Organization to avoid new hiring restrictions. A strong regular budget remedies the fundamental issues of great importance to developing countries, he explained, adding that fair representation of countries of the Global South will enable the Organization to better address the challenges of the future. It also frontloads a more comprehensive programme budget for human rights, which will facilitate more predictable resource planning for the Office of the0 High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and proposes continuing strategic action to address racism in the United Nations Secretariat. In 2023, the United Nations assessed the United States share of the regular budget at 22 percent and its share of the peacekeeping budget at 27 percent; however, the U.S. Congress caps contributions to the peacekeeping budget at 25 percent, leaving the United States in arrears. ANTNIO GUTERRES, Secretary-General of the United Nations, introduced the Organizations proposed programme plan for 2023 (documents A/77/6 (Plan Outline) and Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and Corr. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 calls for transformative, collaborative action, and the United Nations must be at the heart of that effort by delivering cohesive and high-quality support, at scale, to Member States. PETRONELLAR NYUAGURA (Zimbabwe), aligning herself with the Group of 77 and China and the African Group, emphasized the necessity of adequate resources to address the development priorities of developing countries, which includes the quest for peace, for which special political missions are an important pillar in conflict areas. A strong human rights pillar will also strengthen the links with other United Nations pillars, she stressed. The United Nations should continue to expand its technological capabilities in all construction projects and renovations. He said he was thankful that during the second resumed session, Member States responded to his appeals and addressed some of the structural problems affecting the regular budgets liquidity situation. The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today began its line-by-line consideration of a proposed $3.12 billion regular budget for the United Nations in 2022, before recosting, which. Secretary-General Presents $3.22 Billion Budget - United Nations Developed through inclusive funding dialogues and focused on development activities and funding, the compact articulates concrete actions and indicators for Member States and all entities of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group to implement such shifts and thus fully realize the Organizations development strengths. Continuous engagement and consultations with Member States not only guarantees ownership and accountability but ensures that mandated priorities reflect Member States aspirations and the Organizations legitimacy, she underscored. May 25, 2023 The African Group will work to appropriate the required funding for the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, support to Africa through the African Union's Agenda 2063, Africa's . Funding the United Nations: How Much Does the U.S. Pay? These missions, he continued, have unfortunately not been well supported with financial and human resources. On management reform, he expressed support for an annual budgetary cycle as it leads to more accurate mandate resources and enables the United Nations to respond swiftly to new challenges. Renewing America, Backgrounder While both make recommendations, they cannot change mandates, he noted. SULEIMAN HAJI SULEIMAN (United Republic of Tanzania), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China and the African Group, called for adequate funding for the United Nations, saying: We cannot expect it to do more, while giving it less. Despite domestic challenges and priorities, the United Republic of Tanzania will continue to fulfil its commitments to the regular budget in full and on time. On recosting, ACABQ hopes for a harmonized approach across relevant budget sections based on realistic cost rates, performance, workload indicators and best practices. While it began as a strategic reserve, the guard has grown into a pivotal partner in military operations. The Assembly should request an analysis of the systems full budget for possible consideration through the established budgetary procedures under a unified mechanism for intergovernmental oversight that includes the cost-sharing arrangement. There is a need for the Committee for Programme and Coordination to discuss its deliberations on draft programmes before the Secretary-General elaborates a proposed budget for the Advisory Committees consideration. It includes an additional $2million, including 16 posts, to strengthen the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), secure sustainable funding for continuing functions, and address critical funding gaps. by Lindsay Maizland Sara Ibrahim, Lynn Hong, Zachary Rosenthal, Nathalie Bussemaker, Laura Hillard, Diana Roy, and Amanda Shendruk contributed to this article. Egypt will keep pushing for the legitimate cause of financing for conflict prevention and peacebuilding, especially in Africa, he said.