The United Nations: Benefiting the U.S. Economy
For more than six decades, the United States’ engagement in the United Nations has clearly supported U.S. foreign policy goals. Less obvious is the fact that the U.S derives significant economic benefits from that engagement, through UN procurement of American goods and services and economic returns to local New York businesses. In fact, for every $1 invested by the United States in the United Nations Secretariat, our nation receives over $1.60 in return. Breakdown of UN economic benefits to the U.S.: UN Secretariat economic benefits to the U.S. per year based on latest figures available: UN Secretariat Procurement from U.S. in 2010: $832 million Economic benefit to NYC: $3.3 billion
Estimated benefit to the U.S. in one year: $4.13 billion U.S. Contributions to the UN Secretariat: U.S. to UN Regular Budget in 2010: $516 million U.S. to UN Peacekeeping in 2010: $1.887 billion U.S. to the Capital Master Plan (as pledged in 2010): $75 million Estimated U.S. contribution to the UN Secretariat: $2.478 billion 4.13 á 2.478 = $1.66
While the U.S. contributes $2.478 billion to the UN Secretariat, we receive $4.12 billion in economic benefits from the UN. This means that for every dollar the U.S. pays, we receive more than $1.60 in return.
The UN Supports the U.S. Economy by Buying American Goods and Services
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1SPDVSJOH "NFSJDBO (PPET BOE 4FSWJDFT In 2010, the UN Secretariat bought $832 million in goods and services from American companies. In fact, more than 3,500 U.S. headquartered companies – with locations as diverse as San Jose, CA; Southfield, MI; Morrisville, NC; and Miami, FL – provide reliable goods and services that the UN utilizes to advance its various missions. The table below shows a sample of American companies – which include Ford, Caterpillar, and CISCO – that contracted with the UN in 2010. These procurement contracts stem from the Capital Master Plan, Secretariat operations, and field missions. 4BNQMF PG 6 4 7FOEPST UP UIF 6/ 6 4 $PNQBOZ
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Skanska USA Building Inc.
Whitestone, NY
$290,689,713
Construction management, infrastructure
Ford Motor Company (Global Fleet Sales Inc.)
Southfield, MI
$115,989,202
Light trucks, vans, and buses, heavy duty utility vehicle
Caterpillar
Peoria, IL
$18,337,697
Engineering equipment
Terex Corporation
Westport, CT
$13,975,768
Mobile cranes
CISCO Systems Inc.
San Jose, CA
$9,252,293
Equipment and accessories for connecting electronic data processing equipment in to networks
American Power Conversion
West Kensington, RI
$9,196,344
Un-interrupted power supply (UPS) equipment & high density cooling system
Helpern Architects
New York, NY
$8,829,626
Construction administration phase, design development phase, construction documents
Fisher Asset Management LLC
Redwood City, CA
$7,500,000
Investment management services
Doosan Infracore America Corp.
Suwanee, GA
$7,298,932
Industrial forklifts
Lenovo, Inc.
Morrisville, NC
$4,937,058
Micro-computers, software packages, printing and plotting devices
World Fuel Services Corporation
Miami, FL
$2,144,731
Aviation fuel
t $BQJUBM .BTUFS 1MBO The Capital Master Plan is a five-year project to renovate
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UN headquarters in New York by updating building and fire
t *OUFSOBUJPOBM "UPNJD &OFSHZ "HFODZ *"&" This UN agency
safety codes so that they comply with current standards
serves as the global focal point for nuclear cooperation, helping
for security, energy efficiency, and accessibility. Con-
its members use nuclear technology safely and securely. The
struction began in 2008 and U.S. companies have been
IAEA sets safety standards for nuclear energy and conducts in-
awarded 80 of the 82 contracts – a total investment of $1.7 billion in the U.S. economy over five years. As part of our assessed dues, the U.S. will contribute $377 million to the $1.95 billion total project budget. Consequently, for every dollar the U.S. puts into the Capital Master Plan, it gets back $4.50.
t 6/ 1FBDFLFFQJOH 0QFSBUJPOT In 2010, the U.S. received $188 million in procurement for UN peacekeeping operations. This went to support 15 UN peacekeeping missions, which currently have more than 120,000
spections to ensure that Member States use nuclear technology in accordance with non-proliferation agreements. t 1BO "NFSJDBO )FBMUI 0SHBOJ[BUJPO 1")0 PAHO is the regional branch of the World Health Organization which focuses on improving the health and living standards of the people of the Americas. PAHO strengthens national and local health systems and improves the health of the peoples of the Americas, in collaboration with Ministries of Health, other government and international agencies, nongovernmental organizations, universities, social security agencies, community groups, and others. t 'PPE BOE "HSJDVMUVSF 0SHBOJ[BUJPO '"0 FAO works to achieve food security for the world’s population, guarantee-
troops and personnel deployed around the globe, making
ing people have regular access to enough high-quality food to
it the second largest deployed military force in the world.
lead active and healthy lives. FAO’s mandate is to raise levels of
American companies are on the ground in places like Haiti,
nutrition, improve agricultural activities, better the lives of rural
Lebanon, South Sudan, and Liberia supporting these critical
populations, and contribute to the growth of the world economy.
peacekeeping missions by offering telecommunications lines,
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information technology services, earthmoving machines, and
Labor Organization (ILO) is the only tripartite UN agency
building materials.
with government, employer, and worker representatives. This
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businesses, and employees alike can freely and openly debate
New York City benefits greatly from the daily business of UN
structure makes the ILO a unique forum in which governments, and create international labor standards and policies.
headquarters; the UN is an “enormous economic enterprise� whose revenues come from national governments around the world, but are spent largely in New York. A past estimate put New York City’s annual economic gain from having the UN headquartered there at $3.3 billion. In addition, visitors attending UN conferences held in New York infuse millions into the City’s economy; the annual opening of the General Assembly session alone is comparable to a major international convention or sporting event. Moreover, this type of annual conference is not affected by economic recessions, so these large expenditures will be made each year, which can be especially beneficial in a down economy. Finally, New York City benefits greatly from tourism - the UN hosts an average of over 1 million visitors in New York every year, providing business to local hotels and restaurants.
1800 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20036 Phone: (202) 462-4900 Fax: (202) 462-2686 www.BetterWorldCampaign.org
The Better World Campaign (BWC), an initiative of the Better World Fund, works to strengthen the relationship between the United States and the United Nations through outreach, communications, and advocacy. It encourages U.S. leadership to enhance the UN’s ability to carry out its invaluable international work on behalf of peace, progress, freedom, and justice. In these efforts, BWC engages policy makers, the media, and the American public to increase awareness of and support for the United Nations.