Arop Jonchol
By: Emmanuel Gatjeik
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed reducing funding for United Nations peacekeeping missions, citing what it described as operational failures in regions such as Mali, Lebanon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to Reuters, the United States — the largest financial contributor to the United Nations — currently provides 22% of the organization’s core $1.7 billion budget and 27% of its $5.6 billion peacekeeping budget. This funding supports nine peacekeeping missions around the world, including operations in Mali, Lebanon, the DRC, South Sudan, Abyei, Western Sahara, Cyprus, Kosovo, and the buffer zones between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The proposal is part of a broader initiative by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to significantly reduce the State Department’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins in October. The OMB recommended eliminating funding for the “Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities” account, pointing to “recent peacekeeping failures” and the “disproportionate financial burden” borne by the United States.
The proposal still requires approval by the U.S. Congress, which may choose to restore some or all of the funding recommended for cuts.
