Ahead of the high-level general debate of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Devex took a deep dive into the U.N. system’s complex financial structure to understand how it generates its income, which among its agencies receive the largest share, and where it spends its money.
Established in 1945, the U.N. has remained one of the most vital institutions in the global development sector, delivering projects in a range of areas, including climate change, education, health, and social infrastructures. It is composed of specialized agencies, programs, and funds, each with its own mandate.
In this piece, we looked into the U.N.’s financial data between 2017 and 2021, as published by the U.N. System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, or CEB. Although the high-level data for 2022 and 2023 is available from other sources, a breakdown of income and expenses is only available up to 2021.