The US is capping its funding of the UN

Haley: The US is capping its funding of the UN

by Breck Dumas | Mar 29, 2018

https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/03/28/haley-the-us-is-capping-its-funding-of-the-un/

United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced on Wednesday that America will no longer fundmore than 25 percent of the organization’s peacekeeping operations.

Haley told the Security Council, “Peacekeeping is a shared responsibility. All of us have a role to play, and all of us must step up.”

Currently, the US is shouldering roughly 28.5 percent of the UN’s peacekeeping missions. The next-largest contributor is China, which pays 10 percent.

The contribution from the US has already been reduced $570 million from last year, at the insistence of the Trump administration. When that cut was made in June, Haley announced, “We’re only getting started.”

In December, Haley’s team also negotiated a further $285 million cut from US coffers to the UN’s operating budget. At the time, the ambassador issued a statement saying that “The inefficiency and overspending of the United Nations are well known. We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked.”

She continued: “In addition to these significant cost savings, we reduced the UN’s bloated management and support functions, bolstered support for key US priorities throughout the world and instilled more discipline and accountability throughout the UN system.”

The Trump administration has not yielded in expressing its frustration with the UN, namely the governing body’s resolution to oppose President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and their handling of finances.

On Tuesday, Haley had further scathing remarks for the UN Security Council for their inaction regarding Syria’s eastern Ghouta region, where innocent citizens have faced devastating casualties.

She blamed the situation on the fact that Russian and Iranian troops were working in conjunction with Syrian forces under the country’s president, Bashar al-Assad.

Haley stated, “This is a travesty. This should be a day of shame for every member of this council, and it should be a lesson about what happens when we focus on fleeting displays of unity, instead of on what’s right,” and added, “History will not be kind when it judges the effectiveness of this council in relieving the suffering of the Syrian people.”

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock acknowledged the dire circumstances in Syria in the same meeting, saying “The last few months have been some of the worst yet for many civilians inside Syria.”