Summary
The United Nations (UN) is facing a serious financial crisis because many member countries are not paying their required fees. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the situation could lead to "imminent financial collapse" unless member states pay what they owe or change the UN's financial rules. This issue has become more serious as the United States, the UN's largest financial contributor, has reduced its funding and withdrawn from several UN agencies.
Key Facts
- The UN is at risk of running out of money by July due to unpaid fees from its member countries.
- António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the UN, has stressed the urgent need for member countries to pay their dues.
- The United States, under President Donald Trump, has refused to contribute to the UN's regular and peacekeeping budgets.
- The UN faces a unique financial crisis that Guterres says is unlike past situations.
- In 2025, member states had not paid 77% of what was owed to the UN.
- The UN must return any unspent money to member states, complicating its financial situation further.
- The US had contributed $2 billion to UN humanitarian efforts, a decrease from previous funding levels.
- President Trump has criticized the UN for not supporting US-led peace efforts and has made moves to reduce US involvement in international organizations.
