António Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, urged countries to honour their financial obligations to the organisation and pay in full and on time.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
UN chief Antonio Guterres on Friday warned that the world body is on the brink of financial collapse, urging countries to pay their dues.
“Either all Member States honor their obligations to pay in full and on time – or Member States must fundamentally overhaul our financial rules to prevent an imminent financial collapse,” the secretary-general wrote in a letter.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has in recent months reduced its funding to some UN agencies and has rejected or delayed some mandatory contributions.
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“Decisions not to honour assessed contributions that finance a significant share of the approved regular budget have now been formally announced,” Guterres wrote, adding: “The current trajectory is untenable. It leaves the Organization exposed to structural financial risk.”
The UN has faced chronic liquidity problems for years because some member states do not pay their mandatory contributions in full, and others do not pay on time, forcing it into hiring freezes and cutbacks of its missions.
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