The Better World Campaign and Friends Committee on National Legislation organized members of civil society—focused on international peace and security, civilian protection, and humanitarian issues—to urge Congress to support the U.S. Commitment to Peacekeeping Act of 2021 (H.R. 4420). The legislation—introduced by Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA) and co-sponsored by Reps. Castro (D-TX), Bass (D-CA), Cicilline (D-RI), Phillips (D-MN), and Malinowski (D-NJ)—will help ensure that the U.S. meets its financial obligations to UN peacekeeping and reinvigorate efforts to make these missions more effective, accountable, and fit-for-purpose.
Since 2017, the United States has accrued more than $1 billion in debt on its financial obligations to UN Peacekeeping and damaged its credibility at the UN. Failing to meet our financial obligations also shortchanges our allies and puts U.S. national security at risk.
The U.S. Commitment to Peacekeeping Act seeks to address these issues by permanently repealing the arbitrary 25 percent cap on peacekeeping contributions, thereby permitting the U.S. to pay its bills on time and in full. Going forward, the U.S. will still be able to meet its obligations consistent with the assessment rates agreed to by American diplomats at the UN, while also ending repeated and destabilizing cycles of unilateral financial withholdings. In addition, the bill recommits the U.S. to push for tangible progress on critical peacekeeping reform measures.
