How is the United Nations financed?
The UN is financed in four basic ways: 1. Each member nation (which, as of 2004, included virtually every country in the world except Taiwan & the Vatican) is expected to pay a portion of their GNP as a membership fee. Dues are charged based upon a country’s capability to pay. The larger, richer nations, like the U.S., pay substantially more than poorer nations, like the Sudan. The UN, however, cannot force member nations to pay their dues. Many nations have failed to pay their full dues, causing the UN to fall into considerable debt. In 2004 alone, members owed the UN nearly $2.4 billion in upaid dues. 2. Organizations like UNICEF appeal for donations which are used to fund UN programs 3. The UN sells bonds to the private sector which has met with reasonable success. 4. Some countries make voluntary contributions to support various UN programs. The U.S is the largest contributor to the UN.
