United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has raised alarm over a growing financial shortfall threatening the organisation’s operations, warning that without urgent action, the UN could exhaust its available funds by July 2026.
The warning was contained in a letter addressed to all 193 UN member states, in which Guterres highlighted that many countries have failed to pay their mandatory contributions, pushing the organisation into a serious budget crisis.
According to the Secretary-General, the funding gap is increasingly undermining the UN’s ability to carry out its global responsibilities.
“This situation is different from what we have faced before,” Guterres wrote.
He revealed that in 2025, only 77 percent of assessed contributions were paid, leaving a significant portion of the budget unpaid.
As a result, the UN is struggling to prepare and implement its budget.
“We cannot execute a budget without collected resources, nor can we reimburse funds we have never received,” he said.
Reports by international media, including the BBC, indicate that some UN offices in Geneva, Switzerland, have already taken cost-cutting measures, such as switching off air conditioning systems, in an effort to reduce electricity expenses.
The UN’s funding system requires all 193 member states to contribute based on the size of their economies.
The United States remains the largest contributor, covering 22 percent of the UN’s core budget, followed closely by China at 20 percent.
However, the US recently withdrew from 31 UN agencies and has not paid its 2025 contributions.
The Trump administration has argued that large sums of American taxpayer money were being misused, accusing some UN bodies — including the World Health Organization (WHO) — of being influenced by political interests of certain countries.
The financial strain now raises concerns over the future of key humanitarian, development, and peacekeeping programmes worldwide.
KIGALI TIMES
