Donors

The UN family is made up of the UN itself and many affiliated programmes, funds, specialized agencies and Bretton Woods Institutions all with their own membership, leadership, and budget. Funding for the United Nations comes from two sources: assessed contributions and voluntary contributions.

Assessed contributions are obligatory payments made by Member States to finance the United Nations regular budget and peacekeeping operations. They are largely based on per capita income.

Voluntary contributions, on the other hand, are left to the discretion of each Member State. These contributions, which account for more than half of total funding, finance most of the United Nations’ humanitarian relief and development activities.