Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Aug 21

Trump Administration Starts $725 Million UN Transfer as US Still Owes More Than $4 Billion

Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Aug 21

Trump Administration Starts $725 Million UN Transfer as US Still Owes More Than $4 Billion

Q: Will this partial payment be enough to protect the United States from losing its UN voting rights next January?

Probably not on its own. The $725 million transfer is meaningful for the UN’s cash flow, but it appears too small by itself to guarantee that the United States will stay below the Article 19 arrears threshold next January. Under Article 19 of the UN Charter, a country can lose its General Assembly vote if its unpaid assessed contributions equal or exceed the amount due for the preceding two full years. The key issue is that the reported payment is for the UN’s regular budget, while the larger U.S. arrears problem also includes peacekeeping and tribunal assessments. The UN said in May that Washington owed more than $4 billion in total, including about $2.04 billion for the regular budget, $2.2 billion for peacekeeping, and $44 million for tribunals. A $725 million payment covers only part of that. That is why former UN official Eugene Chen told Reuters that if the United States makes no further payments, it would likely lose its voting rights in January. Other experts said the transfer could help the UN keep operating and avoid immediate cuts, but not solve the underlying arrears problem. There is still some uncertainty. Washington disputes the UN’s total and says it has already made some payments, and the General Assembly can allow exceptions in some cases. But based on the figures publicly cited, this partial payment alone does not appear sufficient to fully protect U.S. voting rights next January.

1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 21

$725 million is being moved to the United Nations under an Aug. 4 State Department notice to Congress, with the transfer expected before Donald Trump addresses the UN General Assembly next month.
The payment would cover less than 20% of the more than $4 billion the UN said in May it was owed by the United States, though Washington disputes that total and says it has made some payments.
António Guterres has warned the UN faces imminent financial collapse, and experts said the transfer could temporarily cover salaries and help the organization avoid immediate spending cuts.
January is the next pressure point: without further payments, experts said the United States could lose its General Assembly voting rights under Article 19 if arrears exceed two years of assessed dues.

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The Guardian2d ago

Trump Administration Transfers $725M to UN Amid Billions Owed, Financial Collapse Warnings

Why did the US suddenly transfer $725 million to the UN just weeks before the General Assembly?

Will this partial payment be enough to protect the United States from losing its UN voting rights next January?

Could the recent end to the UN credit return rule permanently solve its liquidity crisis without massive member arrears?

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1 total

Left100%

The Guardian2d ago

Trump Administration Transfers $725M to UN Amid Billions Owed, Financial Collapse Warnings

Trump Administration Starts $725 Million UN Transfer as US Still Owes More Than $4 Billion

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