Biden Moves to Increase Spending Limit for Peacekeeping

On June 27, 2006 Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) sponsored an amendment that would allow the United States to keep its commitment to the United Nations by paying its peacekeeping dues in full.

Current law prohibits the U.S from funding more than 25% of the UN’s annual peacekeeping budget. This cap has been a longstanding thorn in the side of UN peacekeeping efforts. In 2000 the U.S. negotiated a decrease in its peacekeeping dues from 31% down to 27.1%. Unfortunately Congress never permanently increased spending to the negotiated amount, thus creating a shortfall of 2.1% each year. Due in part to this spending cap, the United States has accrued $391 million in peacekeeping arrears to the UN during the last two fiscal years.

Senator Biden, however, recently sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill (S. 2776) to raise the spending limit to the assessed rate of 27.1% for 2005 through 2007. The amendment passed without objection. The Authorization bill will now go to a conference committee where Senate and House representatives will resolve differences between their respective versions of it.

Citizens for Global Solutions applauds Senator Biden for sponsoring this amendment. With missions underway in 15 countries and a new Darfur mission on the horizon, it is now more important than ever that we pay our debts to UN peacekeeping. The spending cap has limited the United States’ ability to adequately fund UN peacekeeping activities, and has thus damaged the UN’s ability to promote peace and America’s reputation abroad. It’s time for the US to repay its debts, and begin paying its assessed dues in full.

+ READ THE AMENDMENT