UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that the organisation’s liquidity crisis stems largely from unpaid membership dues.
The UN has faced chronic funding shortfalls, with the US historically its largest debtor.
“The liquidity crisis is caused by one simple fact: the arrears. We have a huge debt to the organisation, essentially from one member state and a few others,” Mr Guterres said during an informal meeting to discuss UN reforms.
The UN chief did not name the specific countries but dismissed the idea that structural reforms alone would resolve the financial strain, stressing that the solution lies in member states fulfilling their financial obligations.
“We won’t solve the liquidity crisis by reforming the organisation. We solve it by countries paying their contributions in full and on time,” he said, adding that this would improve the UN’s efficiency and mitigate the crisis.
The US owed the UN about $2.8 billion as of early 2025, according to UN figures. The total includes about $1.5 billion in unpaid assessments for the UN's regular budget and roughly $1.3 billion for peacekeeping operations and international tribunals.
Under the UN’s funding formula, the US is responsible for 22 per cent of the regular budget and about 27 per cent of peacekeeping costs. However, a 1993 US congressional cap limits peacekeeping contributions to 25 per cent, leading to accumulating arrears.
Despite the unpaid dues, the US has avoided losing its General Assembly voting rights by making partial payments. Under Article 19 of the UN Charter, a member state can be stripped of its vote if arrears match or exceed its contributions for the past two years.
The funding crisis has forced the UN to consider cost-cutting measures, including agency consolidation and staff relocations.
Mr Guterres stressed that while reforms were necessary, they would not be a substitute for member states’ financial commitments.
He called on member states to make tough decisions.
"Many of you have agreed that this must be the moment to be bold and ambitious. That is what our organisation needs and that is what our times demand," he said.
"Make no mistake uncomfortable and difficult decisions lie ahead. It may be easier and even tempting to ignore them or kick the can down the road. But that road is a dead end."
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
Sting & Shaggy
44/876
(Interscope)
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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