Contributions to International Organizations and UN

(International Organizations & UN)

Department of State & International Programs

Proposed Cut

$2.7B

% Reduction

90.0%

Action Type

reduction

Who Is Served

UN Peacekeeping (13 missions); WHO (withdrawn); UNICEF; International Atomic Energy Agency

Summary

The Contributions to International Organizations and UN account pays U.S. dues and voluntary contributions to bodies like the UN, UN Peacekeeping, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The FY2027 budget proposes cutting this funding by $2,700 million, a 90% reduction, reflecting the administration's plan to withdraw from WHO and dramatically shrink U.S. support for UN peacekeeping and assessed dues to international organizations.

Who Is Affected

The cut would hit the 13 active UN peacekeeping missions that protect civilians in conflict zones such as South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the U.S. has historically covered about 25% of the peacekeeping budget under a Congressionally set cap. It also affects WHO's global disease-surveillance and outbreak-response network, UNICEF's voluntary-funded programs for children worldwide, and dozens of other treaty-based organizations that would lose most or all U.S. dues, with the administration stating it will prioritize funding for only a small handful of organizations like IAEA and NATO.

What this cut would actually mean

If the cut takes effect, UN peacekeeping operations would lose a quarter of their budget overnight, likely forcing troop and resource reductions in active conflict zones and weakening protection for civilians caught in ongoing violence. Leaving WHO removes the U.S. from global systems that track flu strains for vaccine matching and coordinate rapid response teams for outbreaks like Ebola, mpox, and dengue, which health experts warn could slow global detection of the next pandemic threat. UNICEF and dozens of other agencies would also lose most voluntary and assessed U.S. funding, shrinking programs that support children's health and humanitarian response in dozens of countries.

Sources

What's in the House FY 2027 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Spending Bill - Better World Campaign — Explains that the FY2027 proposal would zero out funding for the UN regular budget and most UN specialized agencies, keeping only a handful of prioritized organizations like IAEA.
Proposed Cuts to Diplomacy and International Assistance Out of Step with Broad Bipartisan Consensus – USGLC — Details the administration's FY2027 request to nearly eliminate CIPA (UN peacekeeping) funding and eliminate IO&P (UNICEF and similar voluntary contributions), noting U.S. peacekeeping funding covers about 25% of UN peacekeeping resources.
National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs: FY2027 Budget and Appropriations | Congress.gov (CRS Report R48956) — Congressional Research Service report showing the FY2027 request seeks to eliminate funding for the UN regular budget, UN peacekeeping (CIPA), and cuts CIO by 78.9% from FY2026 levels.
US Funding of International Organizations Has Collapsed | Center For Global Development — Analysis showing WHO, FAO, NATO, and OECD had already stopped receiving obligations, and describing the CIO account's role funding over 40 international organizations.
How the U.S. withdrawal from WHO could affect global health powers and disease threats | The Conversation — Explains that leaving WHO reduces U.S. influence over global health programs and disrupts disease surveillance for emerging health threats.
United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding of U.N. Peacekeeping | Congress.gov CRS In Focus — Describes the 1994 Congressional cap limiting U.S. peacekeeping assessments to 25% of the UN peacekeeping budget and lists active missions such as UNMISS in South Sudan and MINUSCA in the Central African Republic.