News24
09 Oct 2019, 17:43 GMT+10
The United Nations has an overall annual operating budget of several billion dollars, covering everything from humanitarian work to disarmament, but right now, it's just trying to make sure its employees get paid after this month.
How did the world body end up more than $200 million (over R3bn) in the red?
The answer: member states who have not paid their expected contributions, including the United States.
On Tuesday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the "worst cash crisis facing the United Nations in nearly a decade".
He cautioned the UN "runs the risk of depleting its liquidity reserves by the end of the month and defaulting on payments to staff and vendors."
Not paying up
Several member states are behind in their dues payments. The UN will not publicly identify those countries, but sources told AFP the main culprits are the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Iran.
In all, 64 countries owe money to the UN. Also on the list of budget delinquents are Venezuela, North Korea, South Korea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The last country to have paid up is war-wracked Syria, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday at his daily press conference.
In a letter sent on Monday to the 37 000 employees at the UN secretariat, which was obtained by AFP, Guterres said the UN had a deficit of $230m as of the end of September.
On Tuesday, he indicated that if the world body had not taken the initiative to cut spending since the start of the year, the hole would have been even bigger in October - possibly $600m (over R9bn) - and could have affected last month's General Assembly attended by world leaders.
Travel cuts
In his statement on Tuesday, Guterres thanked the 129 member states who have paid up "and urged those who have not paid to do so urgently and in full."
To limit expenditures from now until year's end, the UN chief has raised the possibility of postponing conferences and meetings, limiting all but essential official travel, and reducing services.
A UN official speaking on condition of anonymity said Guterres had raised the budget issues with member states as early as this past spring, asking them to pay up, but they refused.
Not including what it pays for peacekeeping operations, the UN's operating budget for 2018-2019 is close to $5.4 billion (R84bn), with the United States contributing 22%.
The portion still owed? Nearly $1.4 billion (R21bn).
Washington is also the largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping tab.
President Donald Trump's administration has taken a hard line on UN funding, cutting contributions and pushing for cost-saving reforms.
Get a daily dose of Greek Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Greek Herald.
More InformationLONDON, U.K.: British oil giant Shell has denied reports that it is in talks to acquire rival oil company BP. The Wall Street Journal...
LONDON, U.K.: A little-known investment fund based in the United Arab Emirates has emerged as the most prominent public backer of U.S....
New Delhi [India], July 2 (ANI): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Kesavan Ramachandran as Executive Director of RBI with...
The inflation is driven by the price of services, which recorded a yearly inflation rate of 3.3 percent in June, up from 3.2 percent...
DUBAI, 1st July 2025 (WAM) -- Emirates will be layering on more retrofitted Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s on its existing schedules...
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 1 (ANI): TVS Motor Company has recorded its highest-ever quarterly sales in the first quarter of...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Under pressure from European regulators, Apple has revamped its App Store policies in the EU, introducing...
U.S. Senate passes Trump's landmark mega-bill The GOP-led Senate on Tuesday passed U.S. President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful...
(250701) -- WASHINGTON, July 1, 2025 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press at the White House in Washington,...
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said he will oppose any agreements to end the fighting Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich...
by Burak Akinci ANKARA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Yousouf Al Sharif, a 35-year-old furniture worker from Syria living in Ankara, is thinking...
New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday announced the appointment of Jayant Khobragade of the...