We’re running out of money, UN chief warns
Guterres says member states have failed to pay their dues on time, causing unprecedented ‘cash shortfall’ that could hurt body’s ability to carry out key tasks
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned this week that the international organization faces a real danger of running out of cash, due to member states’ failure to pay their dues.
In a letter to UN staff, Guterres said the organization had “never faced such a difficult cash flow situation this early in the calendar year.”
He added: “Caused primarily by the delayed contributions of member states to the regular budget, this new cash shortfall is unlike those we have experienced previously.”
The UN chief said he had “appealed to member states to pay their assessments on time and in full, and highlighted the risk the current situation poses to the delivery of mandates and to the reputation of our organization.
“An organization such as ours should not have to suffer repeated brushes with bankruptcy,” he said. “But surely, the greater pain is felt by those we serve when we cannot, for want of modest funds, answer their call for help.”
In December the UN General Assembly voted to approve the nearly $5.4 billion regular operating budget for 2018-2019, which already included cuts to most departments and offices.
But the UN said by the end of June, only around $1.49 billion of the funds had been paid by member states.
The regular budget pays for many UN activities, but not peacekeeping or some humanitarian appeals.
The US is the largest contributor, paying about 25 percent of the regular budget. President Donald Trump has pressed to cut US contributions to the world body.
AP contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.