U.S. Weighs Cuts to UN Department Amid Accusations of Anti-American Bias
The United Nations Department of Global Communications, responsible for shaping the UN’s image and disseminating its message worldwide, is facing increasing scrutiny and potential funding cuts from the United States. Several sources have told Fox News Digital that the department’s alignment with U.S. interests is being questioned, particularly regarding its perceived bias against the U.S. and Israel.
This renewed focus on the department comes shortly after President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating a review of U.S. funding to the UN. Trump has previously expressed his belief that the UN, while possessing "tremendous potential," is not being managed effectively. The possibility of reduced U.S. contributions has already drawn concern from United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who warned that such cuts would have detrimental consequences, making the world "less healthy, less safe, and less prosperous."
The Trump administration has already taken concrete steps to curtail U.S. financial support for certain UN initiatives. Funding has been halted for the United Nations Relief and Works Administration for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and the U.S. has withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council. Furthermore, the U.S. terminated $377 million in grants to the United Nations Population Fund, an organization providing sexual and reproductive health services across 150 countries.
The Department of Global Communications, staffed by nearly 700 individuals, is tasked with promoting the UN’s agenda to a global audience through various media platforms and languages. Its core mission is to "leverage the power of communications to tell the United Nations story" and mobilize support for the organization’s objectives.
However, critics like Anne Bayefsky, Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and President of Human Rights Voices, argue that the department is using U.S. taxpayer money to disseminate anti-American and anti-Semitic propaganda. She asserts that the U.S. is essentially funding a PR machine that promotes negative narratives about itself and its allies.
In response to inquiries from Fox News Digital, a UN spokesperson defended the department’s activities, stating that it performs essential media outreach, operates a newswire service, and maintains the Dag Hammarskjöld Library. The spokesperson further explained that many of the department’s personnel are stationed at 59 UN Information Centers worldwide, where they communicate the UN’s message in local languages, directly engaging with the populations the UN aims to serve.
This network of information centers, however, has also drawn criticism. Hugh Dugan, a former member of the U.S. delegation to the UN, suggested that the need for these centers to "lobby its own members on their dime in their countries" is indicative of a "deep state" within the UN. He also pointed to declining U.S. public support for the UN as evidence of the department’s failure to effectively communicate its message in a country crucial to its future. A recent Pew Research Center survey revealed that 52% of Americans held a favorable view of the UN in April 2024, a decrease from 57% in 2023.
The Department of Global Communications’ role in overseeing communications for other UN entities has also been questioned. Under Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming clarified that her department does not have direct oversight but convenes regular coordination meetings with communication colleagues from across the UN system to discuss crisis situations and content plans. She confirmed that the department manages the main United Nations’ social media accounts.
Concerns about the content disseminated through these social media channels have been raised by figures such as Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of U.N. Watch, who alleges that the UN’s official communications, including statements from the Secretary-General and various social media posts, frequently contain anti-American and anti-Israel messaging, bordering on anti-Semitism.
U.S. Ambassador-designate to the UN Elise Stefanik echoed these concerns, tweeting that the "days of propping up organizations at the United Nations that run counter to our interests are long gone." She pledged that the U.S. would no longer fund "terrorism, antisemitism, and anti-Israel hate."
Fox News Digital highlighted specific examples of tweets from the UN’s official Twitter account that promote a one-sided narrative of the Israel-Gaza conflict. These included a tweet supporting UNRWA, which criticized Israeli restrictions on the organization’s operations without acknowledging the reasons behind those restrictions, namely, allegations of UNRWA’s ties to terrorist groups. Another example cited was a retweet of a World Health Organization statement condemning a raid on a Gaza hospital, without mentioning that the Israeli Defense Forces had entered the facility to apprehend Hamas and Islamic Jihad members who were storing weaponry inside.
Despite repeated requests, spokespersons from the U.S. State Department, U.S. Mission to the UN, and the United Nations were unable to provide Fox News Digital with precise figures on the percentage of the Department of Global Communications’ budget covered by the U.S.
While the exact financial breakdown remains unclear, it is known that in 2022, the U.S. contributed $18.1 billion to the UN, covering 30% of the organization’s total budget. By 2024, U.S. contributions had decreased to 22% for the general budget and 27% for the peacekeeping budget. Nevertheless, the U.S. remains a significant contributor, providing over 40% of the UN’s humanitarian aid in 2024.
The State Department declined to directly address whether funding the Department of Global Communications serves U.S. interests. However, a spokesperson stated that the 90-day review period initiated by a recent executive order is intended to "align our ongoing work with the America First agenda." The results of this review will be communicated transparently, the spokesperson assured. The State Department emphasized its commitment to responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
The potential cuts to the UN Department of Global Communications reflect a broader trend of the U.S. reevaluating its relationship with the international organization. The review process aims to ensure that U.S. funding is aligned with its national interests and that the UN is operating efficiently and effectively. The outcome of this review could significantly impact the UN’s ability to communicate its message globally and its overall operations.
