‘We’ll no longer let US generosity be taken advantage of’: Haley hails $285mn cut to UN budget

Cutting the “bloated” UN budget by $285 million next year is a “big step in right direction,” according to US envoy Nikki Haley. The news comes after reports from the UN that some critical aid programs were underfunded this year.

The US Mission to the United Nations announced on Sunday that it had secured a major curb in the global organization’s budget for 2018 and 2019. Commenting on the announcement, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said the cut would end benefits the international community has gained from “American generosity.”

Washington “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,” reads a statement from the US mission.

According to Haley, “the inefficiency and overspending of the United Nations are well known.” Washington will no longer “let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked.”

“This historic reduction in spending – in addition to many other moves toward a more efficient and accountable UN – is a big step in the right direction,” the ambassador asserted.

The US has long contributed the biggest share to UN funds, which in 2017 amounted to 22 percent of the organization’s $5.4 billion two-year regular budget. The regular budget is separate from the UN funds allocated for its global peacekeeping operations, which cost the organization $7.8 billion in 2017 alone.

The contributions are agreed upon by the 193-member UN General Assembly and are assessed by considering the size of a country’s economy and other factors, including GDP and the national income.
 [rt.com]
 25/12/17