On Tuesday, CNN reported that the White House has instructed the State Department to cut a hefty chunk of the U.S.’ funding to the United Nations from its budget. This declaration arrives alongside Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s stern message to the U.N. about how it must undertake “considerable reform” or face the consequences.
For some time, Trump has grumbled about the U.S. not seeing a very good return on its U.N. investment, and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has chimed in to say that she’s “taking names” if things don’t go well. With the U.S. spending approximately $10 billion annually on the U.N., Trump wants to stick to his promise. CNN says this could include a include a 37% ($20 billion) cut for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, which will dramatically affect U.N. programs
On top of this, the U.S. might withdraw from the U.N.’s Human Rights Council. Tillerson said the U.S. “continues to evaluate the effectiveness” of the group, and he cited its history of allowing nations (such as Egypt, China, and Saudi Arabia) that have poor human rights track records to be allowed in. CNN says the U.S. may be looking to reduce its contributions to other international groups as well:
“For example, the US pays 21% of the operating budget of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which promotes democracy and good governance, particularly in Europe. Japan pays the second-highest dues at about 12%. The White House wants to drop US dues to Japan’s level.”
These moves come as the White House is set to unveil its 2018 budget on Thursday, which could provide greater insight into the U.S.’ future involvement with the U.N. and how such changes may be received.
(Via CNN, The Hill & Foreign Policy)