"Pay for reform": America begins paying its arrears to the United Nations
The US ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, announced that Washington will begin "within weeks" to pay part of its outstanding financial dues to the United Nations, while also confirming that the US administration will continue to push for structural reforms within the international organization. Waltz, during a visit to Geneva, said the focus was on "the outstanding dues," adding: "We will pay these dues," without specifying the amount to be paid in the first phase. The United States owes the United Nations more than $2 billion for its regular operating budget, plus a similar amount for its peacekeeping budget.
UN warnings of financial collapse
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned late last month that member states' delays in paying their financial obligations had put the organization on "the brink of financial collapse". According to reports, in recent months the administration of US President Donald Trump has reduced its funding for some UN agencies, such as the World Health Organization, and has postponed or refused to pay some other mandatory subscriptions. A UN spokesperson said earlier that the organization was awaiting clarification on when and how much the payment would be made.
Payment is conditional on repair.
Waltz stressed that paying the dues would not mean Washington backing down from its demands for reforms within the United Nations, saying: "You have to pay for reforms, and that's why we will continue our persistent pressure to demand efficiency."
He noted that the Trump administration supported the reform program launched by Guterres last year, but expressed reservations about the timing of the initiative, believing it would have been better to launch it earlier. Regarding concerns about the "Peace Council," the US ambassador stressed that the council's goal is not to replace the international organization, but rather to "integrate efforts with it."
From Geneva, home to the European headquarters of the United Nations and dozens of its agencies, Waltz questioned the usefulness of having the organization’s headquarters in “some of the most expensive cities in the world,” adding that technological developments are making geographical location less important in an interconnected world. He also rejected calls to reconsider the continued presence of the United Nations headquarters in New York, asserting that the city would remain "a place where anyone can express their opinion."
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