U.S. Representative to UN Mike Waltz has announced that his country is conducting a comprehensive, performance-based review of several peacekeeping missions including the MINURSO within the frame of a new Trump policy to optimize effectiveness of UN bodies, streamline bureaucracy, reduce costs and restore accountability.
Mr. Waltz made the announcement during his testimony at a hearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on accountability and UN reform.
The U.S. diplomat’s remarks suggest that the days of the UN Mission in the Sahara are numbered as the Trump administration is pressing to end the failed peacekeeping missions such as the MINURSO, sending a strong message to Polisario and Algerian regime.
Waltz’s statement at a congressional hearing also comes after the quadripartite talks held lately in Madrid and Washington on the Sahara in line with UN Security Council resolution 2797 which endorsed the Autonomy Plan in the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty.
“We’re looking at a strategic review of the MINURSO that has been there for 50 years,” said the U.S. ambassador, calling for a UN that is more focused and leaner, while ensuring that every U.S. taxpayer dollar is spent responsibly and efficiently.
Despite the billions of dollars spent over the past decades, no progress has been made and the UN-led Sahara political process has been stalled due to the disengagement and procrastination of Algeria and Polisario.
“During the last 25 years, UN’s budget has quadrupled. We have not seen, arguably, a quadrupling of peace and security around the world commensurate with those hard-earned dollars,” said Mr. Waltz, stressing the need for a 25% reduction in peacekeeping troops globally and for winding down ineffective or costly missions, including scaling back or reviewing long-standing ones.
The 2026 UN regular budget was estimated at $3.45 billion. The U.S. funds roughly a fifth of that at $820 million in 2025 alone. The U.S. is seeking to lower its share in peacekeeping budget and halt waste that undermine the UN effectiveness, said Mr. Waltz, affirming that the United States will work with the UN leadership to align American reform.