The Trump administration has paid $725 million to the UN, reducing the United States’ outstanding debt to the organization and securing its right to vote at the UN General Assembly in New York next week. The UN announced the payment on Wednesday, September 16.
In addition to the contribution to the regular budget, the UN received another $102 million from the U.S. on Friday for peacekeeping operations. According to UN spokesperson Farhan Haq, the U.S. still owes $1.312 billion to the organization’s regular budget. «With these payments, the U.S. is no longer at risk of triggering Article 19 in 2027», he noted.
Debt status and reforms
Under Article 19 of the UN Charter, a member state may lose its voting rights in the General Assembly if its arrears equal or exceed the amount of contributions due for the preceding two full years, though grace periods are possible.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized the UN for failing to reach its potential, and his administration has cut funding to a number of UN agencies. Last month, a U.S. official stated that future payments would depend on the organization continuing its reforms.
The Trump administration is pursuing large-scale cuts to the federal government, arguing that the state apparatus has become bloated. It has also significantly reduced domestic and international grant programs, citing a desire to direct funds toward goals that align with the interests of American taxpayers.
The U.S. remains the largest donor to the UN; however, under the Trump administration, mandatory contributions to the regular and peacekeeping budgets have been delayed, and voluntary funding for individual UN agencies with their own budgets has been substantially reduced.
China, the second-largest donor to the UN, also transferred $641.4 million to the regular budget on September 1, according to data on the UN website.
Amid the financial crisis, the UN is implementing a reform and cost-cutting program known as UN80.
Source: The Straits Times
