He said that all member states must meet their obligations to make full and timely payments or member states must reform existing rules to prevent an imminent financial collapse.
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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the world body is heading towards a financial crisis as member states fall behind on annual contributions and structural funding.
Addressing all UN member states, Guterres outlined the gravity of the situation and urged them to reform their financial rules or face the reality of the organisation's financial collapse. According to Al Jazeera, he also called on the countries concerned to pay their dues .
Highlighting the organisation's financial weakness, spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters that it did not have the cash reserves and liquidity to operate as it had in previous years.
The appeal came as US President Donald Trump moved to cut Washington's financial support for the multilateral body. The Trump administration has announced plans to withdraw from several UN agencies, while Trump has also reportedly promoted the 'Board of Peace' initiative.
Under the current system, UN membership fees are calculated based on factors such as gross domestic product, debt levels and economic capacity, with the United States contributing 22 percent of the core budget, while China contributes 20 percent.
Meanwhile, Guterres said $1.57 billion in payments were outstanding at the end of 2025. Stressing the need for reform, he said all member states must meet their obligations to pay in full and on time or member states must reform existing rules to prevent an imminent financial collapse.
Amid mounting economic pressures, the UN earlier this month approved a $3.45 billion budget for 2026, a 7 percent reduction from last year.
In a letter to the UN, Guterres warned that the UN could run out of cash reserves by July.
Figures published on the organisation's website showed that as of Thursday, only 36 of the 193 UN member states had paid their regular 2026 contributions in full.
RSS/ANI
