US pays $725 million to UN, easing its debt dispute with the world body
The United States has paid $725 million to the United Nations, helping to reduce its outstanding debt to the organisation and secure its voting rights at the U.N. General Assembly, which is due to convene in New York next week.
The payment was confirmed by the United Nations on Wednesday as the Trump administration continues to criticise the organisation and reduce US funding to several U.N. agencies.
Washington has argued that the U.N. needs to undertake reforms to improve its effectiveness. A US official said last month that future payments would depend on the organisation continuing with its reform efforts.
U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said the organisation received $725 million from the US on Tuesday towards its regular budget. He added that another $102 million was received from Washington on Friday for peacekeeping operations.
Despite the latest payments, the United States still owes $1.312 billion towards the U.N. regular budget, Haq said. However, he noted that the payments mean Washington is no longer at risk of losing its General Assembly voting rights under Article 19 in 2027.
Article 19 of the U.N. Charter provides that a member state can lose its voting rights in the General Assembly if its outstanding contributions are equivalent to or exceed what it would have paid over the previous two years. Certain circumstances may allow for a grace period.
The Trump administration has undertaken significant reductions in the size of the US federal government, arguing that it had become too large. It has also cut domestic and international grants as part of an effort to redirect taxpayer funds towards programmes it considers to be in the US interest.
The United States remains the largest financial contributor to the U.N. budget. However, under Trump, Washington has delayed some mandatory payments to the organisation’s regular and peacekeeping budgets while also reducing voluntary contributions to individual U.N. agencies.
China, the second-largest contributor, paid $641.4 million towards its regular U.N. budget contribution on September 1, according to information published on the organisation’s website.
The U.N. is currently implementing a reform and cost-cutting initiative known as “UN80” as it grapples with a financial crisis.
Source: Reuters
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