Danielle McGill
6/5/2015
INR European Union 10:50a.m-2:15p.m
European Union and the United Nations The topic assigned by my group members is the financial side of the EU and the UN. It’s important to know that the EU supports the UN financially. In my presentation I will discuss the Financial and Administrative Framework Agreement (FAFA), which provides a framework outlining the contribution detailed agreements. In addition, how the (FAFA) facilitates administrative cooperation by depending on the UN’s auditing, control, an accounting. The (FAFA) Working Group meets once a year to discuss the application of the (FAFA). I will also show how much the EU member states give of its regular budget, of contributions to UN funds and programmes, and UN peacekeeping operations. (p. 309 The EU and Multilateral Organizations) On my subtopic I will discuss the EU’s process of funding to the UN. Member states contribute to the UN budget in three ways, by means of contributions to the assessed budget, to peacekeeping budgets and finally voluntary donations. The assessed budget contributions are based on an adjusted GDP/habitant factor and finance mainly the UN secretariat. Aids are unevenly shared among EU member states. While the old 15 member states contribute considerably, especially Germany, the UK, France and Italy, the new 12’s contribution, with the exception of Poland, is not significant. Voluntary contributions are similarly unevenly split among member states and go to funds and programs, such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The General Assembly, which decides on measured contributions, the EU often speaks with as one body; in the Executive Boards of the funds and programs (such as UNDP), which decide on the disbursements of voluntary contributions, important givers from the EU coordinate with other givers. The financial participation of the EU is often refer to as proof of its commitment to the UN (as in Ortega 2005a, 2007), but it should be noted that European efforts to control the disbursement of funds often leads it into a struggle with poorer UN members. The European Commission is increasingly a significant voluntary donor of the UN. The Commission is also considered among the top three supporters in
