Summary: Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the effects of U.S. budget deferrals and withholdings on the United Nations (UN).
GAO found that: (1) the United States has increased UN payment withholdings from about $9 million to $440 million over the past 5 years and deferred additional funds long past their due date; (2) U.S. withholdings and deferrals, exchange rate losses, and other member country deferrals caused 1986 and 1987 UN budget reforms and cost reductions totaling $220 million; (3) although U.S. deferrals did not reduce UN programs of special interest to the United States, funding problems adversely affected the UN by diverting its time and attention from member-organization activities; (4) the administration requested partial payments of deferrals and withholdings totaling $39 million and nearly full UN funding for 1990; and (5) proposed U.S. multiyear deferral and withholding payments, and payments for only those purposes jointly approved by the President and UN organizations would help avoid unplanned UN program growth.
