UN Still Waiting for Clarity as U.S. Arrears Deepen Budget Crisis

The United Nations remains locked in a financial impasse over billions of dollars in unpaid dues from the United States, as Washington has yet to provide a clear timeline or amount for settling its arrears to the world body’s regular budget and peacekeeping operations.

After the Trump administration last week pledged to make an initial payment, the UN reiterated its position on Monday, saying uncertainty persists over how much money will be paid and when it will be received.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said the organisation is closely engaged with U.S. officials but is still awaiting concrete details.

“We have seen the statements from American officials,” Dujarric told a briefing. “The Secretary-General has been in continuous contact with U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, and our budget controller has also spoken with the relevant U.S. departments. We are waiting to see exactly when and how much will be paid.”

On January 28, Guterres warned member states in a letter that the UN was facing an impending “financial collapse” as unpaid contributions severely constrained its ability to carry out day-to-day operations.

According to UN data, the United States accounts for roughly 95% of all outstanding arrears to the organisation’s regular budget. As of early February, Washington’s unpaid dues to the regular budget stood at $2.19 billion. In addition, the U.S. owes $2.4 billion for peacekeeping missions and $43.6 million for international tribunals.

In an interview with Reuters last Friday, Ambassador Waltz said an initial payment would be made soon.

“You will see a first tranche very quickly,” he said, describing it as a substantial “down payment” against annual dues. While the final amount has not yet been determined, he said the payment could be made within weeks.

When asked whether the funds would cover past arrears or count as advance payments for 2026, Waltz did not give a direct answer, saying instead that the payment was part of efforts to address outstanding dues while recognising the need for reforms at the UN.

UN officials said the United States made no payments to the regular budget last year. As a result, arrears now include $827 million for the 2023–24 financial period, as well as $767 million assessed for 2026, in addition to unpaid amounts from earlier years.

UN figures show that by the February 8 deadline this year, only 55 countries had paid their assessed contributions in full. Analysts warn that reluctance by major economies to meet their financial obligations is putting the UN’s humanitarian, development and peacekeeping activities at growing risk.