Former Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton called the U.N. budget “like a tax on the United States,” and said reforms are needed to level the playing field on Fox Business Monday.
“Right now we pay 22 percent of most U.N. agency budgets. 25 percent for peacekeeping. Automatic. Whatever the budget is, we pay 22 percent. It’s like a tax on the United States,” he told host Neil Cavuto.
Bolton claims the only way to fix the problem is to change the “funding mechanism” to take the burden off the United States.
“I think the only reform that will make any difference at the United Nations, and I speak from 25 years experience and failure at trying to fix it, the only reform that works is changing the funding mechanism,” he said. “That has to change. Instead of assessed or mandatory contributions we should contribute whatever we want, if we think the money is being well spent. Sometimes we may contribute zero percent.”
He called on America’s European allies who’ve praised the U.N. to pick up the slack and increase their share of the funding.
“You countries that think the United Nations is so wonderful, Mrs. Merkel in Germany, you give about 12-13 percent now. Contribute 20 percent if you think it’s so great,” he said. “We just ought to do it unilaterally and they’ll get around to catching up,” Bolton concluded.
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