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Founded in San Francisco and headquartered in New York City, the United Nations spans sea to shining sea. U.S. investment in the UN enables UN agencies to deliver American values and American mail. To provide Americans with digital connectivity and provide more contracts to American businesses than any other country. To protect dozens of our World Heritage sites and protect our borders from global disease and illicit drug trafficking.

And that’s just the beginning . . .

$2.2B in contracts from the UN to U.S. businesses

6K+ Americans working for the UN

4M metric tons of U.S. produce received by the WFP

26 World Heritage Sites in the U.S.

72 WHO Centers across 18 U.S. states

55 UNESCO SCHOOLS IN THE U.S.

HOW THE UN BENEFITS THE U.S.

There’s hardly an aspect of our daily lives in the U.S. that isn’t touched by our engagement with the UN and its agencies, agreements and ancillary bodies. Even the trusty traffic light was brokered through the UN system. So from the urgent issues like responding to conflict to the everyday activities like getting a package in the mail, the UN helps the U.S. work.

  • SECURITY

    As the world’s biggest diplomatic arena, the UN is the space where the U.S. engages with global competitors to defend our allies and interests against regimes like China and Russia. When conflicts arise, UN Peacekeeping works to contain crises and protect civilians — all at just one-eighth the cost of deploying comparable U.S. missions. The UN also serves as the most effective platform for the U.S. to enforce sanctions against terrorist groups and hostile states.

  • VALUES

    With Eleanor Roosevelt at the helm of drafting the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it’s no surprise that UN values mirror American values — like democracy, human rights and the rule of law. These values show up in the critical work of U.S.-funded UN agencies that deliver lifesaving services, food and nutrition, healthcare, education and humanitarian support to priority populations worldwide.

  • HEALTH

    American investment in UN health programs has helped generate some of the most groundbreaking global health work in history, including efforts to fight malaria, HIV/AIDs, TB, polio and most recently, COVID-19. Working with 70 Collaborating Centers across the U.S. and hundreds more worldwide, the WHO coordinates response to outbreaks to keep disease from spreading. 

    The UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime also works with U.S. law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Postal Service to monitor the illegal flow of illicit drugs, most notably the rise of synthetic substances like fentanyl.

  • BUSINESS

    With $2.4 billion in UN contracts to U.S. businesses, America’s private sector takes in more revenue from the UN than American taxpayers pay in annual dues to the institution. These businesses work across industry – from aviation and shipping to telecom and outer space. What’s more, Americans occupy nearly 6,000 positions at UN Headquarters in New York — more than any other Member State.

  • ENVIRONMENT

    UN agencies and UN-facilitated agreements are key to reducing emissions and lessening the impacts of climate change, which are felt in every community in the U.S. This includes the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which convenes nations to respond to threats like rising sea levels.

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