In 2024, the United Nations had a $200 million cash shortfall, according to The Economist, which added, “Internal modelling suggests that the year-end cash deficit will, without cuts, probably blow out to $1.1bn, leaving the UN without money to pay salaries and suppliers by September.”
Approximately $760 million was lost in unpaid dues in 2024; the United States and China each contribute roughly 20% of the UN’s annual budget. The United States contributes $2.3 billion annually.
“Article 19 of the UN charter says that a country that skips two years’ worth of payments will lose its vote in the General Assembly (but not its veto on the Security Council, if it has one),” The Economist reported. “America’s total arrears are about $3bn, still shy of its $4.5bn two-year limit. If Mr. Trump does not pony up, America will fall foul of the rules in next year’s budget and have its…
