Newsroom
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stark warning to member states that the world body is approaching a severe cash crisis that could threaten its ability to operate.
In a letter circulated this week to all 193 UN members, Guterres said chronic delays in the payment of mandatory contributions, combined with outdated budgetary rules, have pushed the organisation toward what he described as a potential financial breakdown. He urged governments either to settle their dues in full and on time or to agree on structural changes to the UN’s funding system.
The message was confirmed on Friday by UN officials. Speaking at a regular briefing, spokesperson Farhan Haq said the organisation no longer has sufficient liquidity to function as it has in previous years. “This is not a theoretical problem,” he said, adding that the secretary-general’s warnings have grown more urgent as cash reserves have continued to shrink.
Under current rules, member states are assessed annual contributions based on factors including economic size, debt levels and income. The United States is responsible for 22 percent of the UN’s core budget, with China contributing about 20 percent.
By the end of 2025, unpaid assessments had reached a record level of $1.57bn, according to figures cited by Guterres. He did not publicly identify the countries in arrears. As of this week, the UN said only 36 member states had fully met their financial obligations for 2026.
The warning comes against the backdrop of policy shifts in Washington. US President Donald Trump has moved to reduce funding for multilateral institutions and announced plans to withdraw from several UN agencies. His administration has also promoted a separate initiative known as the “Board of Peace,” which critics argue could weaken the role of the United Nations.
Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, said the initiative appeared to create an exclusive, fee-based alternative to existing global institutions. He argued that governments would be better served by reinforcing the UN system rather than diverting resources elsewhere.
Earlier this month, the General Assembly approved a $3.45bn regular budget for 2026, representing a 7 percent reduction from the previous year as the organisation sought to curb spending. Even with those cuts, Guterres warned that the UN could exhaust its available cash by July.
One factor contributing to the strain is a long-standing financial rule requiring the UN to return unused funds to member states, a practice that can amount to hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Guterres described the system as increasingly unworkable, noting that the organisation is expected to refund money it does not actually have on hand.
Without swift action, he said, the UN risks losing its capacity to carry out mandated programmes and operations across peacekeeping, humanitarian aid and development.
