Washington, D.C. (May 23, 2017) — Better World Campaign President Peter Yeo issued the following statement today regarding the proposed funding cuts to the United Nations and its agencies reflected in the Administration’s full FY’18 budget request to Congress:
“The United Nations and its agencies make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. However, the proposed cuts to the UN outlined in the Administration’s budget request are highly problematic, as they would, if enacted, greatly undermine a range of peacekeeping operations and global health and humanitarian assistance programs that save lives and further U.S. interests.
“These cuts are also counter-productive as they would undermine American leadership in New York and make it much more difficult to promote UN reform and foster international cooperation on challenges that threaten the United States.
The Administration’s budget request calls for:
- Deep and disproportionate cuts to the overall International Affairs Budget, amounting to a nineteen-billion-dollar reduction from FY’17 enacted levels. Funding dropped from $59.1 billion in FY’17 to $40.1 billion in FY’18 – a 32 percent cut from FY’17 enacted levels;
- A reduction of over $710 million for the Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account, which includes UN Peacekeeping funding. The account dropped from $1.908 billion to $1.196 billion – a 37 percent cut from FY’17 enacted levels;
- A cut of over $360 million for the Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) Account, which includes the UN Regular Budget and specialized agencies like the IAEA and WHO. The account dropped from $1.359 billion to $996 million – a 27 percent cut from FY’17 enacted levels;
- An over two-billion-dollar reduction to the Global Health Programs Account, with family planning funding zeroed out. The account dropped from $8.725 billion to $6.481 billion – a 26 percent cut from FY’17 enacted levels;
- Ending U.S. funding for UN climate change programs, including the Green Climate Fund; and
- Completely defunding the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) Account, which includes voluntary contributions to UN agencies, like the UN Development and Environment Programs, UN Women, and UNFPA.
“With the ultimate budget decisions now in the hands of legislators on Capitol Hill, we are grateful to Republican and Democratic Members of Congress who have stressed the importance of a robust foreign affairs budget and fully paying our dues to the UN.
“We look forward to working with House and Senate Appropriators and the Administration to ensure the U.S. continues to invest wisely in the United Nations in order to safeguard our foreign policy and national security interests around the world.”
About the Better World Campaign
The Better World Campaign works to foster a strong relationship between the U.S. and the UN to promote core American interests and build a more secure, prosperous, and healthy world. The Better World Campaign engages policymakers, the media, and the American public alike to increase awareness of the critical role played by the UN in world affairs and the importance of constructive U.S.-UN relations.
Media Contact:
info_bwc@unfoundation.org
