Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
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Tables and Charts
UN Regular Budget
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) sets the Regular Budget every two calendar years. The Regular budget funds UN core activities, including staffing costs, in eight headquarter locations in the US, Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Among other things, the Regular Budget covers international conferences, public information work, human rights promotion and special UN missions to conflict areas. The budget is financed through assessments to all UN member states. Countries pay according to their economic capacity, but the Fifth Committee has set a “ceiling” rate of 22% to prevent the UN from becoming overly dependent on any one member state. The US, the only country that meets this ceiling, consequently pays much less than its share of the global economy. Over 80% of all member states fail to pay their dues to the UN in full and on time. Failure to pay can lead to loosing one’s vote in the General Assembly. According to Article 19 of the UN Charter, a country loses its vote if the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount it was billed in the preceding two years. The US, the largest debtor to the UN, pays just about enough to keep its vote in the assembly. Its debt to the Regular Budget has since the beginning of the 1980s averaged around US$200 million by December 31 of each year, i.e. 11 months after the payment deadline. This has caused serious financial difficulties for the organization.
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UN Finance
Regular Budget Expenditures in Current vs Real Terms
The following table and graph illustrate the expenditures of the Regular budget in current versus real terms from 1971.
Table and Graph 1971 - 2005Regular Budget Assessments & Payments:
The following tables and graphs illustrate the total payments by member states to the UN regular budget. US monthly payments are also shown. The US debt is then compared to the debt of all member states.
Table: 2008 - Updated Monthly
Graph: 1992 - 2007
Tables: 1992 - 2008
Regular Budget Payments of the 15 Largest Payers: - Updated Monthly
These tables show the monthly payments of the top 15 member states to the Regular Budget, revealing who pays on time, who pays late or not at all.
Table: 2008
Tables: 1992 - 2008
US Regular Budget Debt vs. Regular Budget Debt of All Member States:
This table and graphs illustrate the total debt of all member states to the regular budget compared to the total US debt to the regular budget.
Table and Graphs: 1971 - 2007
United Nations: Programme Budget Outlines
Table and Graph: 1946-2009Member States Paying Promptly and Fully:
Similar to the UN’s Honor Roll (below), this table illustrates which countries paid all of their regular dues on time. It further shows the percentage of the budget that the shares of these states represent.
Table and Graph: 1991 - 2008
List of Payers:
Lists member states that have paid their dues to the regular budget in full, by month.
List of 2006 Payers
List of 2005 Payers
List of 2004 Payers
List of 2003 Payers
List of 2002 Payers
List of 2001 Payers
List of 2000 Payers
List of 1999 Payers
List of 1998 Payers
List of 1997 Payers
List of 1996 PayersCountries Who've Lost Their General Assembly Vote
A list from the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary General at the United Nations.
More Information on UN Finance
More Tables and Charts on UN Finance
