Legislation & Issues
U.N. Watch: U.N. Budget
(January 30, 2008) The U.N. does not have a unified budget, and due to the U.N.'s lack of accountability and transparency, it is impossible to know how much money flows through the entire U.N. system. U.N. experts' best guesses usually range from $20-25 billion. The U.S. contribution in 2005 to the U.N. system was over $5.3 billion (linked to Oversight homepage?) which means U.S. taxpayers underwrite at least 25% of the entire U.N. operation.
The U.N.'s 2008/2009 core budget marks the largest budget in U.N. history. The core budget is controlled by the U.N. Secretary General and is spent by his office, the Secretariat. The total for the 2008/2009 core budget, after going through numerous amendments and additions, is expected to be at least $5.2 billion or a 25% increase from 2006/2007.
The U.N.'s core budget only represents a small percentage of the total U.N. system that includes the budgets for numerous, independent U.N. funds and programs. According to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Mark Wallace, the U.N. funds and programs are following the Secretary General's example by dramatically increasing their budgets as well. For example, U.N. peacekeeping budget will grow from $5 billion to $7 billion in 2008--a 40% growth.
Click here for more information from U.S. Ambassador Wallace regarding the 2008/2009 U.N. budget.
U.N. Watch: the UN Development Program
(January 1, 2007) The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is the largest U.N. program that controls up to $5 billion of the estimated $20 billion budget of the entire U.N. system. The UNDP claims to promote democracy, reduce poverty, protect the environment, and combat HIV/AIDS. However, the UNDP refuses even the most basic transparency and accountability measures, so it is impossible to know how the UNDP uses its funding or measure the outcomes of UNDP programs.
The U.S. is the largest contributor to UNDP with annual contributions of over $240 million, but since UNDP coordinates the funding of other U.N. programs, the actual amount of U.S. funds controlled by UNDP is much higher. For example, the U.S. contributes up to $100 million annually to the U.N.'s Global Environment Facility fund which is used by UNDP to implement environmental programs.
Reports of UNDP procurement fraud, whistleblower retaliation, graft, and other corruption indicate the UNDP is plagued by the same problems as the rest of the U.N. system. Even more troubling, the UNDP has an administrative procedure that allows for cash transfers directly to governments, to implement much of its programs. The UNDP makes these cash transfers to terrorist states and regimes with abysmal human rights records such as North Korea, Burma, Iran, Syria, and Cuba.
U.N. Watch: Human Rights and Anti-Semitism
U.N. Watch: Procurement
In 2006, the U.N. reports that it spent $1.99 billion in procurement for the U.N. Headquarters, peacekeeping missions, and “other programs seeking procurement services.” This does not include several U.N. entities that have their own procurement budgets. Due to the U.N.’s refusal to enact basic accountability and transparency measures, it is impossible to determine what the real total is for procurement in the entire U.N. system.
Internal U.N. auditors have uncovered over $600 million worth of contracts tainted by corruption, and U.S. investigations have resulted in three U.N. procurement officials found guilty of bribery and related crimes by U.S. federal courts.
U.N. Watch: Terrorism
According to the U.N. charter, the purpose of the United Nations is to “maintain international peace and security.” Terrorism is the primary threat to international peace and security, yet the United Nations has failed to establish a legitimate definition of terrorism while it appoints terrorist states to leadership posts, accredits organizations that openly support and glorify terrorism, and props up terrorist regimes with funding and resources.
