The UN Secretary-General's representative, António Guterres, expressed gratitude to China on Wednesday for its latest payment to the United Nations, stating that the funds were 'very timely.'
Stephan Juarric announced at a regular press briefing that China's recent payment allowed it to fully update its contributions to the UN's regular budget. The representative noted that China is the second-largest donor to the UN's regular budget and added that having the full amount 'greatly helps the current liquidity crisis.'
Juarric also specified that thanks to China's payment, the number of member states that have fully paid their contributions has reached 133. During the briefing, he was asked about the status of the United States' payment to the regular budget. He responded that the payment is under review, and they are monitoring its status.
The Trump administration initiated a procedure to pay $725 million to the United Nations to cover part of the US debt. This payment was planned to be completed before Trump's trip to New York in September to attend the UN General Assembly and speak. However, the $725 million amount constitutes less than 20% of the total amount owed by the United States.
The UN reported in May that the US owes more than $4 billion in unpaid payments. Nevertheless, the US government cites a smaller debt figure. According to the UN Charter, a member state can lose its right to vote in the General Assembly if its arrears equal or exceed the contributions due from it for the two previous full years. The United States, however, is the largest donor to the UN budget. Previously, the Trump administration refused to pay some mandatory fees into the UN's regular budget and peacekeeping operations, reduced voluntary funding for several UN agencies, and withdrew from a number of international organizations.
