New York, Jan 31, 2026 — The United Nations is facing the risk of a “severe financial collapse” due to unpaid annual contributions by member states and long-standing structural weaknesses in its funding system, Secretary-General António Guterres has warned.
In a letter sent earlier this week to UN member countries, Guterres outlined the gravity of the financial crisis and urged governments either to agree on reforms to the organization’s financial rules or to ensure full and timely payment of their assessed contributions. Without immediate action, he cautioned, maintaining UN operations would become increasingly difficult.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq described the situation as having reached an “now or never” moment regarding the payment of dues.
Although Guterres did not name any specific countries in his letter, the crisis has been exacerbated by funding cuts under former US President Donald Trump’s administration, which significantly reduced financial support for multilateral institutions. The Trump administration had announced plans to withdraw from 66 international bodies, including the UN, and launched a new initiative dubbed the “Board of Peace.”
According to UN data, annual contributions are assessed based on member states’ gross domestic product and other economic indicators. The United States is responsible for 22 percent of the UN’s regular budget, while China contributes 20 percent. However, by the end of 2025, outstanding unpaid dues had reached a record $1.57 billion.
Earlier this month, the UN approved a reduced budget of $3.45 billion for 2026—seven percent lower than the previous year. Despite the cut, Guterres warned that if the current funding shortfall persists, the organization could run out of cash by July.
As of Thursday, January 29, only 36 out of the UN’s 193 member states had fully paid their regular contributions for 2026, according to information published on the UN’s official website.
UN Faces ‘Severe Financial Collapse’ as Guterres Urges Members to Clear Dues
UN chief warns operations could grind to a halt unless member states reform funding rules or pay outstanding contributions on time.
The UN faces a "severe financial collapse" as unpaid contributions reach record highs.
