The  UN’s approved budget for global peacekeeping operations in UN fiscal  year 2017 was about $7.9 billion. Contributions to UN Peacekeeping Operations

The United States is the largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping  operations. From fiscal years 2014 to 2017, the United States contributed  an average of about $2.1 billion per year to these operations. Contributions to That UN Operation

Based on data and other input from the UN, DOD, and State, we estimate  that it would cost the United States more than twice as much as it would  cost the UN to implement a hypothetical operation comparable to  MINUSCA, the ongoing UN operation in the Central African Republic  (CAR). Using roughly the same  basic parameters for MINUSCA, including similar deployment levels of  military and civilian personnel over the same time period, in consultation  with DOD and State officials, we estimate that a comparable, hypothetical  U.S. operation would likely cost nearly $5.7 billion, more than twice the  UN cost for MINUSCA (see table 3 for a detailed comparison of estimated  U.S. costs and actual UN costs). Various Factors Affect Differences between the Actual Cost of MINUSCA and the Estimated Cost of a Hypothetical, Comparable U.S. Operation

Various factors contribute to the differences in costs between actual UN  expenditures for MINUSCA from April 10, 2014 through June 30, 2017— the first 39 months of MINUSCA—and a hypothetical, comparable U.S.  operation over the same time period, including disparities in the cost of  sourcing and transporting equipment and supplies, staffing and  compensating military and police personnel, and maintaining facilities and  communications and intelligence systems. In contrast, the UN does not fly in water or consumables on the same  scale as the United States would in the hypothetical operation. The estimate also includes the incremental costs the  United States would incur for deploying active duty military personnel,  including hardship duty pay that is not incurred when those personnel are  in the United States. Officials Cited Relative Strengths of UN and U.S. Peacekeeping Operations

UN and U.S. peacekeeping operations have various relative strengths,  according to U.S. and UN officials we met with. Relative strengths of UN  peacekeeping operations include international and local acceptance,  access to global expertise, and the ability to leverage assistance from  multilateral donors and development banks, according to these officials. Relative Strengths of U.S. Peacekeeping Operations Would Include Faster Deployment and Superior Command and Control, Logistics, Intelligence, and Counterterrorism Capabilities

According to U.S. and UN officials, the relative strengths of U.S.  peacekeeping operations would be faster deployment and superior  command and control, logistics, intelligence, and counterterrorism  capabilities. State did not provide comments. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

The objectives of this report were to (1) compare the reported costs of a  specific United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operation to the estimated  costs of a hypothetical, comparable operation implemented by the United  States; (2) identify factors that affect cost differences; and (3) identify  stakeholder views on the relative strengths of UN and U.S. peacekeeping  operations. To compare the reported costs of a specific UN peacekeeping operation  to the estimated costs of a hypothetical, comparable operation  implemented by the United States, we selected the UN Multidimensional  Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic  (MINUSCA) as a case study. The Office of the  Undersecretary of Defense-Comptroller and IDA generated a cost  estimate for the military components included in the hypothetical  operation using the Contingency Operations Support Tool (cost  estimating tool).
Why GAO Did This Study

To promote international peace and security, the UN had 16 ongoing peacekeeping operations worldwide as of June 30, 2017, with a total budget of almost $8 billion in UN fiscal year 2017 and contributions of over 100,000 military, police, and civilian personnel from more than 120 countries. The United States is the largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, providing an average of about 28 percent of total funding annually.
The Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, includes a provision for GAO to compare the costs, strengths, and limitations of UN and U.S. peacekeeping operations. This report (1) compares the reported costs of a specific UN operation to the estimated costs of a hypothetical, comparable operation implemented by the United States; (2) identifies factors that affect cost differences; and (3) identifies stakeholder views on the relative strengths of UN and U.S. peacekeeping operations.
GAO worked with the UN, DOD, and State to generate a cost estimate of a hypothetical U.S.-led operation in the Central African Republic comparable to MINUSCA. GAO developed this estimate using DOD's cost estimating tool for contingency operations and State data on civilian costs, assuming a U.S. operation using roughly the same levels of military and civilian personnel as MINUSCA. The cost estimate should not be construed as suggesting that the United States would likely implement such an operation in the Central African Republic or that it would implement such an operation in the same way.
GAO is making no recommendations.

What GAO Found

Based on United Nations (UN) and Departments of Defense (DOD) and State (State) data, GAO estimates that it would cost the United States more than twice as much as it would cost the UN to implement a hypothetical operation comparable to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). MINUSCA cost the UN approximately $2.4 billion for the first 39 months of the operation. GAO estimates that a hypothetical U.S. peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic of roughly the same size and duration would cost nearly $5.7 billion—almost eight times more than the $700 million the United States contributed to MINUSCA over the same time period.
Various factors affect differences between the actual cost of MINUSCA and the estimated cost of a hypothetical, comparable U.S. operation in the Central African Republic. The United States and the UN would source and transport some supplies and equipment differently, affecting the cost of both operations; for example, the United States would airlift water into the Central African Republic, while the UN does not do so to the same extent. The United States also would incur the cost of civilian police and military reservist salaries, while the UN does not pay any troop or police salaries. Finally, some higher standards for facilities, intelligence, and medical services increase the U.S. cost estimate relative to UN costs for similar operational elements.
UN and U.S. peacekeeping operations have various relative strengths, according to U.S. and UN officials. These officials said that, because the UN is a multilateral organization, UN peacekeeping operations have international acceptance and are more likely to be viewed as impartial. Officials also said that the UN enjoys global access to expertise and experience, and can leverage assistance from multilateral donors and development banks. Relative strengths of a U.S. peacekeeping operation would include faster deployment and superior command and control, logistics, intelligence, and counterterrorism capability, according to U.S. and UN officials.