US Plans First Payment Toward Large UN Dues as Reform Debate Grows

Post by : Saif Nasser

The United States has said it will soon make an initial payment toward the large amount of money it owes to the United Nations. This move comes at a time when the UN is facing a serious money shortage and has warned about the risk of running out of funds in the coming months.

According to the US ambassador to the United Nations, Michael Waltz, the payment will be made within weeks. He described it as a strong first installment toward unpaid dues. At the same time, he stressed that the UN must continue reforms to become more efficient and focused on its main goals.

This situation has reopened an old but important debate: how should the UN be funded, and how should it change to meet today’s global challenges?

The UN runs on contributions from its member countries. These payments support daily operations, staff salaries, peacekeeping missions, human rights work, and aid programs around the world. The United States is the largest contributor under the UN payment formula. Because of this, when the US delays payments, the effect on the UN budget is very large.

Officials say the US owes more than two billion dollars to the UN regular budget, plus billions more for peacekeeping and special tribunals. UN leaders recently warned that if major payments do not arrive soon, the organization could face a cash crisis within months. Some programs could slow down or stop if funding dries up.

A new US spending law signed recently includes several billion dollars meant for UN dues and other international groups. This created room for the planned payment. Still, the full amount and timing are not final. The ambassador said the money will go toward past unpaid dues as well as current obligations.

But the payment announcement comes with conditions and criticism. US officials say the UN must reform how it works. They argue that the organization has grown too large and too complex. According to this view, there is too much duplication, too many offices doing similar work, and too much spending on administration instead of results.

The ambassador pointed to areas where several UN agencies handle similar topics, such as climate or development. He said streamlining these offices could save money and improve performance. He described the US approach as “tough love,” meaning support combined with pressure to improve.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has already launched a reform drive aimed at cutting costs and improving efficiency. The new UN budget passed for the coming year is lower than the previous one, though still higher than his first proposal. He has also warned that current financial rules sometimes force the UN to return credits to countries even when payments were never fully received. He wants member states to change that rule.

From an editorial point of view, both sides raise valid concerns. The UN plays a key role in peacekeeping, conflict talks, health work, refugee support, and disaster response. Without steady funding, these global services suffer. At the same time, any large international body must show that it uses money wisely and avoids waste.

When big contributors delay payments, it weakens the system. When the UN resists change, it also weakens trust. The best path forward is shared responsibility — timely payments from member states and serious reform from UN leadership.

The planned US payment is a positive step because it brings stability to the UN’s short-term finances. But it should not be the end of the story. Real progress will depend on whether funding and reform move forward together.