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1 [1] (January 9, 2026)

handle is hein.crs/govetdy0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service informing the legislative debate sinee 1914 0 Updated January 9, 2026 United Nations Issues: Overview of the United Nations System The United Nations (UN) system comprises interconnected entities including the United Nations, specialized agencies, peacekeeping operations, funds and programs, and other entities. Congress has generally supported the UN system, and often uses UN mechanisms to further U.S. foreign policy objectives. At the same time, some Members have been critical of the organization, arguing that UN actions or decisions do not align with U.S. policy priorities, or that it is not operating as effectively as possible. Most recently, on January 7, 2026, President Trump issued a presidential memorandum stating that the United States would withdraw from 31 UN entities deemed contrary to U.S. interests. UN System Background and Structure Each entity within the UN system has different mandates, structures, leadership, and funding mechanisms. UN bodies are primarily funded through assessed and voluntary contributions from UN members (or a combination of both). Assessed contributions are required dues, the payment of which is a legal obligation accepted by a country when it becomes a member. Voluntary contributions are provided at the discretion of donors and often finance special funds, programs, and offices. Key parts of the UN system are described below. The Unted Nations Established in the aftermath of World War II, the United Nations is an intergovernmental organization composed of 193 member states. The UN Charter, a treaty to which the United States is a party, is the founding document of the United Nations. Article 1 of the Charter states that the purposes of the organization are to maintain international peace and security; develop friendly relations among nations; solve economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian problems; and promote human rights. Key parts of the UN system include the following: * The 193-member UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the organization's primary decisionmaking body. It approves the UN regular and peacekeeping budgets and supports the work of its committees and subsidiary organs, such as the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). * The 15-member UN Security Council (UNSC) is mandated with maintaining international peace and security. It includes 5 permanent members with veto power (United States, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom) and 10 nonpermanent members, who are elected by the Assembly for two-year terms. * The UN Secretariat is the UN administrative body located at UN Headquarters in New York City. It is led by the Secretary-General (UNSG), who serves as chief administrative officer. The SG is appointed by UNGA on the recommendation of the SC. The UNSG serves a five-year term, with the possibility for a second term. The United Nations also includes the Economic and Social Council, a 54-member UN body that addresses economic, social, and environmental issues, and the International Court of Justice, the principal UN judicial body. The United Nations is funded through the UN regular budget, which totaled $3.72 billion in UN FY2025. The United States has the largest assessed contribution (22%), followed by China (20%) and Japan (6.9%). UN members approve assessment levels every three years based on a formula taking into account gross national income and other economic data. The United States often accumulates arrears to the regular budget due to differences between the U.S. and UN fiscal years (which affects the timing of U.S. payments) and U.S. withholdings from UN activities. UN Specriaized Agencies The UN system has 15 specialized agencies, each of which is a legally independent organization with its own constitution, membership, and assessed budget (Figure 1). Figure I. UN Specialized Agencies Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) International Fund for Agricultural Development (FAD) International Labor Otganization (ILO) International Maritime Organization (IMO) International Monetary Fund (IMF) International Telecommunication Union (ITU) *UN Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) SUN WorldTourism Organization (UNWTO) Universal Postal Union (UPU) World Bank Group (WBG) World Health Organization (WHO) World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) World Meteorological Organization (WMO) a indicates the United States is not a member. Many specialized agencies follow the assessments for the UN regular budget, while others use their own formulas. The United States is a member of all specialized agencies except for UNESCO, UNIDO, and UNWTO. On January 20, 2025, President Trump announced the United States would begin the one-year WHO withdrawal process. UN Peacekeeping The United Nations currently operates 11 UN peacekeeping missions worldwide, with more than 60,000 personnel from over 120 countries. The UNSC is responsible for establishing and renewing each operation, as well as determining the mission's mandate. The United States, as a permanent UNSC member, plays a key role in shaping peacekeeping missions. The approved budget for the 2025- 2026 peacekeeping fiscal year is $5.4 billion. The United