United Nations

Peacekeeping operations, with an annual tab of nearly $2.5 billion, are among the most important and costly activities undertaken by the United Nations. The U.N. Security Council authorizes proposed peacekeeping efforts, while the General Assembly reviews and approves the operations' budgets. Most of the financial backing for these operations has come from the five permanent members of the Security Council. With the growing number and cost of these operations, however, the United States is shouldering a major financial burden at a time when other countries' ability to pay has increased. As the main overseer of U.S. participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations, the State Department is responsible for ensuring that U.S. funds are well spent. State has not, however, done field-level monitoring of the economy and efficiency of these operations. During visits to peacekeeping locations, GAO found opportunities to cut costs and improve efficiency. U.N. requests for Defense Department (DOD) assistance have expanded, but the Pentagon's procedures for providing, controlling, and reporting this assistance are far from up-to-date. Some regional and international groups have peacekeeping roles that complement U.N. efforts, but the use of these organizations has both advantages and disadvantages.

GAO found that: (1) several UN bodies, including the Security Council, the General Assembly, and the Secretariat, are responsible for establishing and overseeing peacekeeping operations; (2) peacekeeping operations are financed through special assessments, and the United States pays for about 30 percent of total peacekeeping costs; (3) the growing number of peacekeeping operations places a significant financial burden on the United States at a time when other countries may have a greater capacity than in the past to share in peacekeeping costs; (4) State has primary responsibility for overseeing U.S. participation in UN peacekeeping operations and for ensuring that U.S.-provided resources are well spent; (5) State has not conducted field-level monitoring of the economy and efficiency of these operations, and opportunities exist to reduce costs and improve efficiency; (6) UN requests for DOD assistance have expanded, but DOD has not been required to track and report expenses incurred and has not billed UN for all reimbursable costs; and (7) other regional and international organizations have peacekeeping roles that complement UN efforts, but use of these organizations has both advantages and disadvantages.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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