(This is section 38 of the World Beyond War white paper A Global Security System: An Alternative to War. Continue to preceding | following section.)
The UN’s “Regular Budget” funds the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, and special missions such as the UN Assistance Mission to Afghanistan. The Peacekeeping Budget is separate. Member states are assessed for both, rates depending on their GDP. The UN also receives voluntary donations which about equal the revenue from assessed funds.
Given its mission, the United Nations is grossly underfunded. The regular two year budget for 2014 and 2015 is set at $5.4 billion and the Peacekeeping Budget for the fiscal year 2014-2015 is $7.06 billion, the total amounting to less than one half of one percent of global military expenditures (and about one percent of U.S. annual military related expenditures).note42 Several proposals have been advanced to adequately fund the UN including a tax of a fraction of one percent on international financial transactions that could raise up to $300 billion to be applied primarily to UN development and environmental programs such as child mortality, fighting epidemic diseases such as Ebola, countering the negative effects of climate change, etc.
(Continue to preceding | following section.)
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Notes:
42. All responses are thoroughly examined in: Hastings, Tom H. 2004. Nonviolent Response to Terrorism. (return to main article)
