New York, Dec.02 (SANA) UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the United Nations is experiencing its “weakest cash position in years,” citing nearly $1.6 billion in unpaid dues that continue to undermine the organisation’s ability to operate.
Speaking before the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, which oversees administrative and budgetary matters, Guterres said: “Cash liquidity remains fragile, and this challenge will persist regardless of the final approved budget,” pointing to next year’s reduced budget and what he described as “the unacceptable scale of arrears” owed by member states.
As of the end of last year, unpaid contributions totalled $760 million, most of which remains outstanding. In addition, the organisation has yet to receive $877 million in assessed contributions for 2025, bringing total arrears to approximately $1.586 billion.
With only weeks left in the calendar year, 145 out of 193 member states have paid their 2025 contributions in full. Major contributors, including the United States and Russia, have not yet submitted their payments.
“I have repeatedly appealed to Member States to pay their assessed contributions in full and on time,” Guterres said, warning that the shortfall has forced the Secretariat to operate significantly below the approved budget.
The warning comes as member states consider revised estimates for the 2026 regular UN budget, which already includes major structural reductions under the UN 2.0 reform initiative intended to enhance efficiency, modernise operations, and reduce costs.
The revised proposal sets the 2026 regular budget at $3.238 billion, a reduction of $577 million (15.1 percent) from 2025 levels. It includes the elimination of 2,681 posts, representing an 18.8 percent decrease from the current year.
Special political missions are expected to face reductions exceeding 21 percent, mainly due to mission closures and streamlined staffing structures.
As part of broader cost-saving measures, the United Nations plans to consolidate payroll processing into a single global team across three duty stations and create joint administrative centres beginning in New York and Bangkok. The Secretariat is also examining roles that could be relocated to lower-cost duty stations. The plan includes $5.4 million in one-time separation and relocation costs and relies on voluntary separation programmes to limit involuntary departures.
Some diplomats have cautioned, however, that the proposed cuts could disproportionately affect General Service staff and junior personnel, rather than senior
