The USAID Office of Inspector General (OIG) has been at the forefront of conducting aggressive investigations and related oversight of U.S. voluntary contributions to United Nations (UN) agencies. This includes investigations into UNRWA-linked Hamas terrorists and perpetrators of the October 7 attacks in Israel, World Health Organization doctors that sexually abused women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and numerous investigations into fraud, corruption, and diversion of humanitarian assistance funded through UN agencies.
As outlined at a recent House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing, USAID OIG investigators face persistent challenges in their ability to investigate and oversee U.S. funding made through voluntary contributions to UN agencies. Addressed intentionally by Congress and/or agencies responsible for administering foreign assistance programs, the items outlined would strengthen future award design and enhance the U.S. government’s capacity to manage funds directed to UN agencies.