New York, Feb.02 (SANA) United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the organization is facing a severe liquidity crisis and a real risk of financial collapse, as several member states have failed to pay or have withheld their assessed contributions.
In a message addressed to the UN’s 193 member states on Sunday, Guterres said the deepening financial crisis is threatening the implementation of United Nations programs and could lead to a cash shortfall by July this year unless urgent action is taken.
He urged member states to fulfil their mandatory financial obligations or move toward reforming the organization’s financial rules to avert collapse.
Guterres said the stability of the multilateral system depends on member states meeting their obligations under the UN Charter, particularly the payment of assessed contributions. He noted that only 77 per cent of the assessed contributions due for 2025 had been paid so far, leaving the organization with a record level of unpaid arrears.
While the United Nations has faced financial crises in the past, Guterres said the current situation is “fundamentally different,” citing official decisions by some states not to pay assessed contributions that fund a large portion of the regular budget. He did not name specific countries.
He also warned that UN financial regulations require the organization to return unspent funds from certain programs to member states when budgets cannot be implemented, compounding financial pressures at a time of acute cash shortages.
The warning comes as the United States, the largest contributor to the UN budget, has withheld funding for both the regular budget and peacekeeping operations and withdrawn from dozens of international organizations, including 31 UN agencies.
Other countries, including the United Kingdom and Germany, have announced major cuts to foreign aid, moves that Guterres warned could further weaken the United Nations’ ability to carry out its mandates.
Guterres has repeatedly warned that the organization is facing its most fragile financial position in years.
R.H
