	Introduction

Membership in the United Nations (U.N.) has been an issue of ongoing interest for Congress. Currently, the United Nations has 193 members. The organization also has two non-member observer states, the Holy See (Vatican) and "Palestine," which have standing invitations to participate as observers in the sessions and work of the U.N. General Assembly. Examples of specialized agencies include the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), U.N. Educational Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and World Health Organization (WHO). As a member of the P-5, the United States plays a key role in determining U.N. membership. Background

The criteria and process for admitting new U.N. members were established in 1945 by the 51 original members of the United Nations in Article 4 of the U.N. Charter. Membership is open to all "peace-loving states" that accept the obligations contained in the Charter and, in the judgment of the organization, are able and willing to carry out such obligations. Many experts contend that the imprecise nature of these criteria has allowed member states to broadly interpret the conditions for membership, in some cases causing political considerations to have significant weight on membership decisions. Paths to U.N. Decisions on membership applications may be vetoed by any of the P-5. Membership in U.N. Specialized Agencies

The process and criteria for membership in U.N. specialized agencies vary depending on the organization. Each of these entities is a legally independent intergovernmental organization with its own constitution, rules, membership, organs, and financial resources. In 11 specialized agencies, membership in the United Nations gives a state access to membership in the agency without having to have its admission approved by the membership of the agency (ICAO, IFAD, ILO, IMO, ITU, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, and UNESCO). Of these 11 agencies, three also provide membership, without a vote, to member nations of any specialized agency (IFAD, UNIDO, and WIPO). Application for U.N. Although Palestine has the term "state" in its current designation, it is not a U.N. member. U.S. Policy

As one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United States can play a key role in determining membership in the United Nations. It has a more limited role in determining membership in U.N. specialized agencies. A decision to admit a new member in these bodies is generally made by the entire membership, where each member—including the United States—has one vote. The decision to vote for or against membership in both the United Nations and its specialized agencies lies primarily with the executive branch of the U.S. government, which represents the United States in the United Nations and related agencies. Some Members of Congress, however, have sought to influence U.S. policy on the issue by proposing legislation advocating or opposing the membership of various countries and entities—including Israel, Montenegro, Kosovo, South Africa, China/Taiwan, and the PLO. 103-236 ) states that the United States shall not make contributions to "any affiliated organization of the United Nations which grants full membership as a state to any organization or group that does not have the internationally recognized attributes of statehood"; and S ection 414 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 ( P.L. The United States currently withholds its voluntary and assessed contributions to UNESCO in response to the 2011 decision by UNESCO members to admit Palestine as a member. Impact on Membership in Other U.N. Entities

U.S. decisions on membership in one U.N. entity can potentially affect membership in related U.N. entities. Contributions to U.N. System Entities

Based on existing restrictions in U.S. law, Palestinian membership in U.N. bodies could have implications for U.S. contributions to the United Nations and its specialized agencies. When Palestine was admitted to UNESCO in October 2011, for example, it also became eligible for membership, without a vote, in IFAD, UNIDO, and WIPO. Role of Politics in Membership Criteria and Process

Experts and observers generally agree that individual U.N. members' response to the criteria for U.N. membership and decision to admit a state are inherently political. The extent to which the criteria have been applied to various membership applications has depended on the applicant country or entity, geopolitical issues at the time, and individual member states' national interests and views on the role and nature of the United Nations. Looking Ahead: Key Questions

In light of the aforementioned issues, Members of Congress may face several questions related to U.N. and specialized agency membership, including
whether to support or oppose the efforts of various entities to pursue membership in the United Nations or its specialized agencies; what specific steps Members might take to support or oppose the membership of various entities, including, but not limited to, those that represent the Palestinians; and how, if at all, to address the Obama Administration's continued requests to support legislation that would provide authority to waive the legislative restrictions that prohibit U.S. funding for UNESCO.
Since the United Nations (U.N.) was established in 1945, the U.S. government, including many Members of Congress, has maintained an ongoing interest in the criteria and process for membership in the United Nations and its specialized agencies. The United Nations currently has 193 member states and two observer non-member states—the Holy See (Vatican) and "Palestine."
Criteria and Process
The decision to admit a state into the United Nations is made by the U.N. General Assembly on the recommendation of the U.N. Security Council, including all five permanent members (P-5): the United States, China, France, United Kingdom, and Russia. Membership is open to all "peace-loving states" that accept the obligations contained in the U.N. Charter and, in the judgment of the organization, are able and willing to carry out such obligations. Given the imprecise nature of such criteria, many member states have broadly interpreted the conditions for U.N. membership. Consequently, global and domestic politics play a primary role in many membership decisions.
Each of the United Nations' 16 specialized agencies has its own constitution, rules, membership, governance, and financial resources. As such, the process and criteria for admitting new members vary depending on the organization. In 11 specialized agencies, U.N. membership gives a state access to membership in the agency without requiring its admission to be approved by the current membership. Of these 11 agencies, 3 also provide membership, without a vote, to any member of any other specialized agency. Two other specialized agencies require a separate voting process to admit new members.
U.S. Role and Policy
Decisions on U.N. membership are subject to veto by any of the P-5; thus, the United States plays a significant role in determining U.N. membership. The United States has a more limited role in U.N. specialized agencies because decisions to admit new members to these bodies are generally made by the entire membership and each member has one vote. U.S. membership decisions in both the United Nations and its specialized agencies lie primarily with the executive branch, which represents the United States in U.N. and other multilateral fora.
Although Congress often does not play a large role in determining U.N. membership, Members have sought to influence U.S. policy on the issue through legislation advocating or opposing the membership of various countries and entities—including Israel, Montenegro, Kosovo, South Africa, China/Taiwan, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Notably, in the mid-1990s, Congress enacted two separate laws that prohibit funding to U.N. entities that (1) admit the PLO as a member, and (2) grant full membership as a state to any organization or group that does not have the internationally recognized attributes of statehood (see Section 410 of P.L. 103-236 and Section 414 of P.L. 101-246). The United States currently withholds its assessed and voluntary contributions to the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which admitted Palestine as a member in 2011.
Key Issues
Members of Congress may consider the following issues related to U.N. membership:
Impact on other U.N. entities and international organizations. Membership in one U.N. organization can potentially affect membership in other U.N. entities. Some experts also suggest that U.N. membership could affect membership in other international organizations, such as the International Criminal Court. U.S. contributions to U.N. entities. Based on restrictions in U.S. law, Palestinian membership in U.N. bodies could have implications for U.S. funding of the United Nations and its specialized agencies. For example, when Palestine was admitted to UNESCO, it became eligible for membership, without a vote, in three specialized agencies—the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the U.N. Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). To date, Palestine has not joined any of these specialized agencies. The United States is a member of IFAD and WIPO, but not UNIDO. Political considerations in membership criteria and process. Many experts agree that each U.N. member state's decision to admit a new state is largely political. The extent to which the criteria outlined in the U.N. Charter has been applied to membership applications has often depended on geopolitical issues at the time, and member states' national self-interests and views on the role and nature of the United Nations.
This report may be updated as events warrant.