The countdown is on: President Obama will release next year’s budget request to Congress in less than two weeks – and considering Congress recently voted to slash UN Peacekeeping funding for FY14, we’ve got some serious ground to make up.
The timing couldn’t be more critical: As we speak, peacekeepers are risking their lives to restore peace and save lives in war-torn countries like South Sudan.
The current budget for the U.S. underfunds UN peacekeeping by a whopping 12 percent and zeroes out funding for the newest mission in Mali – a mission the U.S. specifically asked for in the United Nations Security Council.
After four years of paying UN dues in full, this refusal to come up with our share of peacekeeping bills further sinks us into financial arrears at the UN and dramatically undermines the effectiveness of missions in Mali, South Sudan, and beyond.
Luckily, we have an opportunity to make sure that doesn’t happen.
You can join the Better World Campaign’s efforts to restore full funding for UN Peacekeeping here.