UN Awaits U.S. Payment of the Nearly $4-B it Owes

The United Nations said Monday it’s waiting to find out how much of the nearly $4 billion the United States owes the world organization the Trump administration intends to pay and when the money will arrive, Edith M. Lederer reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The US accounts for 95% of arrears to the UN.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last week that the world body faces “imminent financial collapse” unless its financial rules are overhauled or all 193 member nations pay their dues, a message clearly directed at the US.

The US owes $2.196 billion to the UN’s regular operating budget, including $767 million for this year, according to a UN official.

The US also owes $1.8 billion for the separate budget for the UN’s far-flung peacekeeping operations, and that also will rise. The US accounts for 95% of arrears to the UN.

The US Mission to the United Nations confirmed that US Ambassador Mike Waltz said the Trump administration planned to make a significant down payment on its arrears in a matter of weeks, with the final amount still to be determined.

 His comments were first reported by Reuters. 

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Monday that Guterres has been in touch with Waltz “for quite some time,” and the UN’s controller also has been in touch with US officials.

Nearly 60 countries paid their annual dues by the Feb. 8 due date.