UN sounds Alarm as billions in unpaid dues threaten global operations

The United Nations is slashing spending, freezing hiring, and scaling back services as it grapples with a deepening financial crisis driven by billions in unpaid dues.

At a tense General Assembly budget committee meeting on Monday, officials warned that the UN’s ability to fulfill its mandates is under threat. Member states collectively owe $2.4 billion in regular budget dues and $2.7 billion for peacekeeping missions.

“Each delay in payment, each hiring freeze, each cancelled service chips away at trust in our ability to deliver,” Switzerland’s delegate said, speaking on behalf of both Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

One proposed solution would let the UN retain unspent funds at the end of the year rather than automatically returning them to member states—especially when payments come in too late to be used effectively. This, along with limited early-year emergency funding, could offer short-term relief.

But delegates agreed that these stopgaps won’t address the root cause. “Temporary measures won’t solve the underlying problem,” Norway’s representative said, urging bold reforms. The European Union warned that the crisis poses “real operational risks” and that the burden “cannot fall solely on countries that pay on time.”

Singapore, speaking for ASEAN, noted that financial instability has become routine, citing how the UN’s Asia-Pacific arm shut offices for three months and froze travel and hiring.

Particularly troubling to many members: one country widely understood to be the United States accounts for over half the unpaid dues. The U.S., under President Donald Trump, is reportedly withholding funds for political reasons.

Russia urged transparency in how the UN implements cost-saving measures, warning against unilateral actions by the Secretariat.

UN management chief Catherine Pollard noted some progress, with 106 nations paying their regular dues as of May 9 but overall, only 61 had fully met all obligations by May 19.

The message from Monday’s meeting was clear: without broad, timely financial support, the UN’s ability to serve a world in crisis hangs in the balance.