Data compiled by Klaus Hüfner (Senior Research Fellow, Global Policy Forum), Michael Renner (Worldwatch Institute) and Global Policy Forum
The following tables offer a summary of the total UN system estimated expenditures. The UN regular Budget and the Peacekeeping Operations Budget are funded by assessed contributions to all UN member states. The UN Specialized Agencies are partly funded through assessed contributions and partly through voluntary contributions. The UN Programmes and Funds are generally funded solely with voluntary contributions. While some data in the table below represents actual expenditures of funds, much of it represents approved budgets.
Sources:
Data on UN Regular Budget and UN Specialized Agencies from Klaus Hufner and United Nations/General Assembly: Statistical Report by the Administrative Committee on Coordination Data on Peacekeeping Operations from Michael Renner of Worldwatch Institute Data on UN Programmes and Funds from Klaus Hufner of UNA-Germany
Table notes:
All sums are rounded in $US millions.
The data presented does not include the assessed contribution expenditures for International Tribunals, which are a separate but relatively small item. Nor do they include the assessed contributions for the Capital Master Plan, an even smaller budget, introduced in 2003 to cover renovation costs of the UN headquarters.
(1) The data on the Regular Budget represents approved budgets rather than actual expenditures.
(2) Since 1996 the Peacekeeping budget is measured by July-June basis instead of by calendar year. GPF has calculated the calendar year figures since 1996 by adding the prior and the current years' figures and dividing by two. From 2000 onwards, peacekeeping data represent approved budgets rather than actual expenditures.
(3) The data on assessed budgets for the UN Specialized Agencies represent approved budgets rather than actual expenditures. The Specialized Agencies include FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation), ILO (International Labor Organisation), UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation), UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organisation) since 1986, WHO (World Health Organisation), ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), IMO (International Maritime Organisation), ITU (International Telecommunication Union), UPU (Universal Postal Union), WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization), WMO (World Meteorologial Organization) and IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). The IAEA although not formally a Specialized Agency, is also financed by assessed contributions. While the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have Specialized Agency status, they are not included here since they are differently funded.
(4) The Programs, Funds, and other Organs include UNCDF (United Nations Capital Development Fund) since 1973, UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) since 1973, UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) until 1986, UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research), UNRWA (UN Relief & Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East), UNU (United Nations University) since 1975, and WFP (World Food Programme)
