The United Nations thanked China for paying nearly $700 million in dues; the United States reportedly owes more than $3 billion and may lose its voting rights.

 

The United Nations thanked China for paying its nearly $700 million in dues for this year. Meanwhile, the United States, embroiled in a government shutdown, reportedly owes the UN over $3 billion.

The UN Charter stipulates that if a member state defaults on its UN dues, and the amount owed equals or exceeds the amount due for the previous two years, it will lose its voting rights in the General Assembly.

The UN's regular budget is primarily funded by mandatory assessments from member states, used to maintain the Secretariat's core operations. In recent years, the UN has faced financial pressure. Last month, Secretary-General Guterres warned that high levels of arrears, delayed payments, and loan repayments are threatening the UN's cash flow and weakening its core operational capabilities. He also stated that if some member states continue to default on their dues, the UN could face "bankruptcy," with a liquidity crisis affecting not only 2026 but also 2027.

Regarding the ranking of UN dues assessment ratios, the world's two largest economies, China and the United States, as permanent members of the Security Council, account for the largest share: the US at 22%, China at 20%, followed by Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France, each with less than 10%.

UN Deputy Spokesperson Haq stated that China had paid its full amount of this year's regular dues, nearly $686 million (approximately HK$5.3 billion), last Wednesday, bringing the total number of member states that have paid their dues in full to 142.

With the US federal government shutdown continuing and President Trump virtually ceasing UN dues payments since returning to the White House in January, Haq emphasized that all member states must pay their dues in full, as this is one of their obligations.

Reports indicate that the US owes over $3 billion in unpaid UN dues, including peacekeeping funds from last year. Trump has previously pressured the UN to reduce the US's share of the budget, arguing that it is unfair for the US, as a member state, to bear over 20% of the regular expenses.