Overview
- In a letter to all 193 member states, António Guterres urged governments to clear arrears or back sweeping financial reforms to avert a shutdown.
- The UN reports about $1.57 billion in unpaid assessed contributions and says 2025 ended with a record level of dues outstanding.
- Austerity measures are visible at UN facilities, and program cuts include reduced human rights monitoring, closed maternal clinics in Afghanistan, and smaller rations for refugees fleeing Sudan.
- The United States, the largest contributor, withheld its 2025 regular budget payment, funded only about 30% of peacekeeping, withdrew from dozens of UN bodies, and later pledged $2 billion for humanitarian work.
- Partial funding-rule changes approved late in 2025 have not eased the liquidity crunch, while additional aid cuts by donors such as the United Kingdom and Germany are expected to further strain operations.