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Subscribe NowThe United States Mission to the United Nations said on December 24 that the UN agreed on its 2018-2019 budget and that the United States negotiated a cut of over $285 million off the 2016-2017 final budget, fulfilling a key goal of the Trump administration.
Though the announcement did not make clear the entire amount of the budget or specify what effect the cut would have on the U.S. contribution, U.S. ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said in a statement that it was a “big step in the right direction” for the U.S.
The UN General Assembly previously approved a two-year operating budget of $5.4 billion for 2016 and 2017. The regular budget is separate from the budget for peacekeeping operations, which totaled $7.8 billion for 2017 alone.
According to PolitiFact, the U.S. currently provides about 22 percent of the body’s annual budget.
“In addition to these significant cost savings,” Ambassador Haley said, “we reduced the UN’s bloated management and support functions, bolstered support for key U.S. priorities throughout the world, and instilled more discipline and accountability throughout the UN system.”
She added that the “inefficiency and overspending” of the organization is well-known, and she would not let “the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of.”
She also said that while the Mission was pleased with the results of the budget negotiations, it will continue to “look at ways to increase the UN’s efficiency while protecting our interests.”