US intends to pay $725 million towards UN debt, Congressional document shows

The Trump administration has begun the process to transfer $725 million to the United Nations, a move welcomed by aid experts as a step toward settling billions in overdue contributions. The notification to Congress, dated August 4, comes ahead of an anticipated speech by President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly next month.

“

imminent financial collapse

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres previously warned of "imminent financial collapse" due to unpaid member state contributions, prompting significant budget cuts. While the $725 million is less than 20% of the over $4 billion the UN stated the U.S. owed in May, it could help the organization avoid immediate spending reductions and the potential loss of voting rights in the General Assembly under Article 19 of the UN Charter.

“

It keeps the ship afloat a little longer.

Eugene Chen, a former UN official, described the transfer as a measure that would "keep the ship afloat a little longer," potentially covering UN salaries for a period. However, he cautioned that without further payments, the U.S. could lose its voting rights in January.

“

If they pay a big chunk, the UN still runs on zero reserves but it gets through the year.

Ronny Patz, a UN finance expert at the German think tank IDOS, noted that a substantial payment now could allow the UN to "get through the year." He added that without it, the organization might struggle to pay salaries and keep operations running in the final months of the year. The U.S. remains the largest contributor to the UN budget, but the Trump administration has previously withheld mandatory payments and reduced voluntary funding.

“

If they don’t pay, the UN might really be in trouble for the last two or three months of the year in terms of paying salaries and keeping the doors open.