NEW YORK – Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday that the United Nations is facing its “worst cash crisis” in nearly a decade because 64 of its 193 members have not paid their annual dues — including the United States, its largest contributor.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the secretary-general has written to all members saying “the organization runs the risk of depleting its liquidity reserves by the end of the month and defaulting on payments to staff and vendors.”
By the end of September, Dujarric said, member states had paid only 70% of the total assessment for the regular budget, compared with 78% at the same time last year.
According to the U.N., 129 countries had paid $1.99 billion in dues for the U.N.’s 2019 operating budget by Tuesday. It said $1.386 billion is owed for this year. (AP)
