United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned staff members that the organisation is running out of cash and urged its member states to pay what they owe as soon as possible.
“Caused primarily by the delayed contributions of member states to the regular budget, this new cash shortfall is unlike those we have experienced previously,” Guterres wrote in a letter sent to staff on Wednesday. “Our cash flow has never been this low so early in the calendar year, and the broader trend is also concerning: we are running out of cash sooner and staying in the red longer,” he said, according to UN News.
According to Guterres, the amount of money paid by member states for the 2018 assessment was around $1.49 billion (Rs 10,229 crore) as of June 30. Of the 193 member states, 112 states, including India, have so far paid their share of the core budget, PTI reported quoting the UN chief’s letter. India made a payment of $17.91 million (Rs 123 crore) on January 29.
The outstanding amount owed for 2018, was nearly $810 million (Rs 5,560 crore), Guterres said. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, Israel, Maldives, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Syria, the United States and Zimbabwe are among the 81 states that have not yet paid, PTI reported.
The UN General Assembly budget committee agreed in December on a $5.4 billion (Rs 37,085 crore) core budget for 2018-2019. The US had negotiated a reduction of over $285 million (Rs 1,957 crore) from the budget, saying the “inefficiency and overspending” of the UN are well known and it will “no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked”. The US is responsible for 22% of the budget.
“I have appealed to member states to pay their assessments on time and in full, and highlighted the risk the current situation poses to the delivery of mandates and to the reputation of our organisation,” Guterres wrote in the letter.
Guterres’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the UN Secretariat would now be looking into ways of reducing expenses, with a focus on non-staff costs.
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