The United Nations is facing an “imminent financial collapse” unless its financial rules are overhauled or all 193 member nations pay their dues, Secretary-General António Guterres has warned. In a letter to member states, he said cash for the regular operating budget could run out by July, severely affecting operations.
Although Guterres did not name any country, the warning comes as the United States, traditionally the largest donor, has not paid its mandatory contributions. According to a UN official, the US owes $2.196 billion to the regular budget, plus $767 million for this year, and an additional $1.8 billion for peacekeeping operations.
Venezuela is the second largest defaulter, owing $38 million, and has already lost its voting rights in the General Assembly after falling two years in arrears. Guterres noted that outstanding dues reached a record $1.568 billion at the end of 2025, more than double the previous year, and that liquidity reserves are nearly exhausted.
The secretary-general also highlighted a structural issue: under current rules, the UN must repay unspent money from the regular budget to member states even if it never received that money. He urged immediate changes to the requirement, stating, “We cannot execute budgets with uncollected funds, nor return funds we never received.”
The UN’s approved regular budget for 2026 totals $3.45 billion, but unless payments improve drastically, the organisation will be unable to fund it. The US mission to the UN did not respond to a request for comment.
