CSI Comment on peacekeeping and book-keeping

UN Peackeeping - 64 years old and still going from strength to strength

Cost of UN Peacekeeping: $ 7.8 billion dollars a year

Every year the United Nations produces a report on the annual expenditure on the various interventions run by the UN around the world. 

For the period 1 July 2011 - 30 June 2012 the total expenditure on these operations comes to $ 7,841,758,977.  This is the equivalent of $21,484,271 per day, 365 days per year.

There are currently UN operations in the following countries:  Morocco, Haiti, Congo, Darfur, Syria, Cyprus, Lebanon, Kosovo, Liberia, East Timor, Côte d'Ivoire, Somalia, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan.

Some of these interventions have been in operation for many decades:  UNTSO in the Middle East (which now comprises three separate missions) has been in continuous existence since May 1948 (64 years ago) and its annual budget is some $ 35 million.  UNFICYP in Cyprus dates from 1964 (48 years ago) and its budget is $58 million per year.

For more on peacekeeping visit the UN's Peacekeeping web page. 

For the 2011 - 2012 budget click here.