October 24 is United Nations Day, marking the anniversary of the ratification of the UN Charter in 1945. Over the last 80 years, the relationship between the United States and the UN has been both a fruitful and positive one and a complex and unstable one.
The U.S. was a founding member of the UN in 1945, hosts its headquarters in New York, and has long been its largest donor. However domestic politics have led the U.S. to have a inconsistent approach to the UN. Following several years of President Biden attempting to strengthen US commitment to multilateralism, in 2025, the U.S. has entered a period of reduced participation in the UN with President Trump questioning its effectiveness, saying the organization is full of “empty words—and empty words don’t solve war.”
The U.S. has withdrawn from or cut funding to several major UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Trump administration used the at times overblown excuse of mismanagement, political bias, and a failure to enact needed reforms. In particular, the White House claimed that the UNHRC and UNESCO protected human rights abusers and displayed a persistent anti-Israel bias.
The Trump administration has also rejected the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and opted out of the Universal Periodic Review of human rights, as part of a broader disengagement from global development and human rights frameworks.
Persistent conflict on U.S. dues to UN
The UN is funded by all 193 member states through assessed mandatory contributions and voluntary donations. Assessed contributions support core UN functions and are determined based on a formula that accounts for gross national income, debt burden, and other factors. As the world’s largest economy, the United States’ assessed contribution covers 22% of the regular UN budget and 26% of the UN peacekeeping budget.
Currently the U.S. owes $1.5 billion, about two-thirds of all unpaid contributions to the UN, putting the UN under serious financial strain.
Despite being mandatory, the U.S. has a history of underpaying or paying late, putting the U.S. in significant debt, or “arrears,” to the UN. Currently the U.S. owes $1.5 billion, about two-thirds of all unpaid contributions to the UN, putting the UN under serious financial strain.
Adding to this strain, the administration has canceled $2.35 billion that it had previously appropriated for the UN. Due to the termination of ongoing foreign assistance contracts and grants, the U.S. has cut voluntary contributions to many UN agencies: by 90% to the World Food Program and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
While the administration recently signaled support for funding select peacekeeping missions, this approach undermines the UN’s broader mission and financial stability. It sets a pattern of backing only efforts aligned with the administration’s priorities while neglecting others. Facing urgent cash shortages, the UN may quietly accept the support—but doing so risks normalizing an “à la carte” model that could further erode the integrity of UN operations.
Looking forward, the House has proposed eliminating nearly all funding in fiscal year 2026 for UN Peacekeeping, UNICEF, the UN Development Program, and other UN agencies.
Risks ahead for U.S. leadership
Beyond the financial impact on the UN, continued U.S. funding cuts will likely reduce U.S. influence by opening the door for other nations to step in with funds and push their own models of human rights support and global cooperation. At the same time, the U.S. is actively disrupting UN initiatives and frameworks, compounding the challenge.
Now, the U.S. risks losing its UN General Assembly vote due to rising arrears. Under Article 19 of the UN Charter, a country loses its vote if unpaid dues equal or exceed two years’ worth of contributions. The House’s proposed fiscal year 2026 appropriations would zero out payment of the U.S.’ dues, adding $700 million to the $1.5 billion in current arrears. If this continues, the U.S. risks forfeiting its General Assembly voting rights within the next three years.
As the UN celebrates its 80-year anniversary on October 24, the future of the U.S.–UN partnership remains uncertain. Rather than turning away from multilateralism and global engagement, the U.S. should renew its commitment to the UN’s founding ideals—peace, justice, and international cooperation.
Lawmakers should support U.S. leadership at the UN by fully funding U.S. dues—especially now, when, as UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned at this year’s General Assembly, “We must choose to strengthen the United Nations for the 21st century. The forces shaking our world are also testing the foundations of the United Nations system […] But those who depend on the United Nations must not be made to bear the cost.”
