The United States has paid about $160 million of the more than $4 billion it owes to the United Nations, a UN spokesperson said on Thursday. The payment came as U.S. President Donald Trump hosted the first meeting of his 'Board of Peace' initiative, which experts say could undermine the UN.
"Last week, we received about $160 million from the United States as a partial payment of its past dues for the UN regular budget," the UN spokesperson said in a statement.
Trump had mentioned at the opening of the 'Board of Peace' meeting on Thursday that Washington would give the UN money to strengthen it.
The U.S. is the biggest contributor to the UN budget, but under the Trump administration it has refused to make mandatory payments to regular and peacekeeping budgets, and slashed voluntary funding to UN agencies with their own budgets.
Washington has withdrawn from dozens of UN agencies.
UN officials say the U.S. owed $2.19 billion to the regular UN budget as of the start of February, more than 95% of the total owed by countries globally.
The U.S. also owes another $2.4 billion for current and past peacekeeping missions and $43.6 million for UN tribunals.
"We're going to help them (UN) money-wise, and we're going to make sure the United Nations is viable," Trump said.
"I think the United Nations has great potential, really great potential. It has not lived up to (that) potential."
Countries, including major powers of the Global South and key U.S. allies in the West, have been reluctant to join Trump's 'Board of Peace' where Trump himself is the chair. Many experts have said such an initiative undermines the UN.
Trump launched the board last month after proposing it late last year as part of his plan to end the war in Gaza.
A UN Security Council resolution recognised the board late last year through 2027, limiting its scope to Gaza.
Under Trump's plan, the board is meant to oversee Gaza's temporary governance and reconstruction. However, Trump subsequently said the board could also tackle global conflicts.
UN experts criticised the board for not having Palestinian representation. There was no UN representative at the 'Board of Peace' meeting on Thursday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened further military action as the Iran war escalates, with Iran reporting 18 people killed and 108 wounded ...
Several Moscow airports suspended the reception and departure of flights overnight, days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Russi...
The U.S. Justice Department has warned states they could lose billions of dollars in welfare funding if they fa...
Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have gathered in Bishkek for a summit focused on trade, investment and transport as the group marks 25 years since its creation.
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
Apple is entering a new era as Tim Cook steps down as chief executive after 15 years at the helm, handing the technology giant's leadership to longtime executive John Ternus.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas says the bloc will tighten enforcement of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Ireland following renewed Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 1st September, covering the latest developments.
Several Moscow airports suspended the reception and departure of flights overnight, days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Russia's airspace was becoming "completely unsafe," due to drones and would "effectively be closing."
The U.S. Justice Department has warned states they could lose billions of dollars in welfare funding if they fail to report immigrants known to state agencies who are in the country illegally.
The Pentagon has introduced mandatory testosterone screening for U.S. military personnel aged 30 and over, with the new policy expected to take effect immediately.
Thousands of residents of Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta took to the streets on Wednesday to protest the government’s handling of a migration crisis that followed a deadly border surge in July.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced a one-year ban on the use of artificial intelligence tools by most students in the city’s public elementary and middle schools, as officials seek to limit the technology’s impact on learning and classroom relationships.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment