Withdrawing the United States from the United Nations

Updated September 2017

A relatively recently introduced bill in the House, H.R. 193, proposes to end the United States participation in the United Nations.  The bill was introduced by Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL-3) and would see the United Nations Participation Act of 1945 repealed.  

Here is the text of H.R. 193 - American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2017:

You will note that the bill refers to 22 USC 287.  A key part of 22 USC 287 was the establishment of the permanent home of the United Nations as shown here in this agreement signed on June 26, 1947:

"AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA REGARDING THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS

The United Nations and the United States of America:

Desiring to conclude an agreement for the purpose of carrying out the Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 14 December 1946 to establish the seat of the United Nations in The City of New York and to regulate questions arising as a result thereof;

Have appointed as their representatives for this purpose:

The United Nations:

Trygve Lie,

Secretary-General,

George C. Marshall,

Secretary of State

The United States of America:

Who have agreed as follows:

Section 1

In this agreement:

(a) The expression 'headquarters district' means

(1) the area defined as such in Annex 1,

(2) any other lands or buildings which from time to time may be included therein by supplemental agreement with the appropriate American authorities;

(b) the expression 'appropriate American authorities' means such federal, state, or local authorities in the United States as may be appropriate in the context and in accordance with the laws and customs of the United States, including the laws and customs of the state and local government involved;

(c) the expression 'General Convention' means the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations 13 February 1946, as acceded to by the United States;

(d) the expression 'United Nations' means the international organization established by the Charter of the United Nations, hereinafter referred to as the 'Charter':

(e) the expression 'Secretary-General' means the Secretary-General of the United Nations.”

Here is a geographic description of the "headquarters district":

“The area referred to in Section 1(a)(1) consists of (a) the premises bounded on the East by the westerly side of Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive, on the West by the easterly side of First Avenue, on the North by the southerly side of East Forty-eighth Street, and on the South by the northerly side of East Forty-second Street, all as proposed to be widened, in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, and (b) an easement over Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive, above a lower limiting plane to be fixed for the construction and maintenance of an esplanade, together with the structures thereon and foundations and columns to support the same in locations below such limiting plane, the entire area to be more definitely defined by supplemental agreement between the United Nations and the United States of America.”

Section 3 contains a key aspect of the agreement:

“The appropriate American authorities shall take whatever action may be necessary to assure that the United Nations shall not be dispossessed of its property in the headquarters district, except as provided in Section 22 in the event that the United Nations ceases to use the same; provided that the United Nations shall reimburse the appropriate American authorities for any costs incurred, after consultation with the United Nations, in liquidating by eminent domain proceedings or otherwise any adverse claims.” (my bold)

In case you were interested, in 2015, the United States was responsible for 22 percent of the United Nations total regular budget of $2.976 billion, resulting in a payment of $654,778,938, by a wide margin the largest contribution.  In addition, the United States contributes to the United Nation's peacekeeping budget; in 2016, the United States was assessed a rate of 28.5738 percent, falling to 28.4691 percent in 2017.  With the 2016 - 2017 peacekeeping budget totalling $7.874 billion, this means that the U.S. will pay an additional $2.249 billion toward global peacekeeping.  

H.R. 193 has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for further evaluation.  Interestingly, the “whole truth and nothing but the truth” mainstream media has pretty much ignored this story.  Despite that, H.R. 193 has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for further evaluation.  While according to PredictGov, the bill has a 2 percent chance of being enacted, its existence does speak to the frame of mind of at least some of those who govern us and the sense that the United Nations has been a less than successful enterprise in putting an end to global conflict.