In the ten year span between 2002 and 2012, funding for the United Nations nearly tripled, from roughly $15 billion to $41.5 billion, according to the Heritage Foundation. The United States, the largest contributor to the United Nations, provided approximately one-fifth of the contributions during that time, according to those same estimates.

Within the U.N., there are many distinct agencies, each with their own funding streams and their own missions. Although the U.N. is subject to audits in some cases, funding to the U.N. largely operates in a “Self-Policing” model where dollars are appropriated to various agencies and funds with only moderate accountability for how those dollars are used. Since it is difficult to trace the money, critics argue that U.S. funding could be tied up in activities that conflict with American interests and values. For instance, taxpayer dollars are believed to have been used  in the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), which has been linked to China’s brutal one child policy.  U.S. contributions have also been used to fund conferences, some of which (reportedly) may have become platforms to promote anti-democratic, anti-American values.

In the House of Representatives, a bill (H.R. 1034) has been introduced to require that the Office of Management and Budget provide a report to Congress each year, detailing all U.S. contributions to the U.N. and its affiliated agencies. The report requires a detailed description and purpose of each contribution, as well as the percentage of U.S. contribution to each agency compared to contributions from other sources, like other nations. This simple reform is aimed at adding a layer of accountability and transparency that many argue has been missing from the U.N. funding process.

Congressman Forbes is a cosponsor of H.R. 1034.

Question of the week: Do you support legislation to increase accountability for U.S. dollars going to the U.N.?

(  ) Yes.
(  ) No.
(  ) I don’t know.
(  ) Other.

Take the poll here.

Find out the results of last week’s instapoll here.