Outstanding membership contributions from UN member states have already reached $1.57 billion, and further delays could lead to the organization losing financial liquidity as early as 2026. As a result, humanitarian aid in regions most affected by conflict and poverty has already been reduced.
Those in need are losing out, while the bureaucracy remains intact
In a letter addressed to member states, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the immediate settlement of obligations to the United Nations. He pointed to a systemic problem in the organization’s funding rules. The UN is required to return funds allocated in the budget to programs that could not be implemented due to the lack of actual payments.
It turns out that only slightly more than half of the member states settle their obligations on time.
The United States, until now the largest contributor to the UN, has not paid its mandatory contribution for 2025 to the organization’s regular budget and has declared that it will pay only 30 percent of the amount due for peacekeeping missions. At the same time, Washington has withdrawn from membership in dozens of UN agencies, including the World Health Organization. Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the UN for inefficiency, excessive bureaucracy, and political bias, announcing an end to funding for institutions pursuing a “globalist agenda.”