The UN is in “imminent financial collapse”, warns Guterres

The UN Secretary-General warned Member States that the organization is at risk of an “imminent financial collapse”, citing unpaid contributions and a budgetary rule that obliges the world body to return unspent money, and stressed that “no power alone” solves global problems.

“The crisis is getting worsethreatening the execution of programs and risking financial collapse. And the situation will deteriorate further in the near future,” wrote the UN Secretary-General, António Guterresin a letter addressed to ambassadors dated January 28, to which he had access.

A HIM faces a cash crisisafter the USA, the biggest contributor of the world body, have cut funding to United Nations agencies, and refused to make payments mandatory to the organization’s regular and peacekeeping budgets.

In the letter, Guterres states that “decisions not to honor contributions mandatory measures that finance a significant part of the approved regular budget have now been formally announced“.

Guterres did not specify which state or states he was referring to, and a UN spokesperson did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

“Or all Member States honor their obligations to pay in full and on time, or they must fundamentally reshape our financial rules to avoid an imminent financial collapse“, he stated, warning that money may run out in July.

No power alone solves global problems

Also this Thursday, in his last annual speech as secretary-general, during which he outlined the UN’s priorities, António Guterres warned that “the cooperation in the world is eroding“, and targeted one, maybe two, powerful countries that are undermining efforts to solve global problems collectively.

“No power alone” can solve global problems, said Guterres, in an apparent reference to the president Donald Trump and his Peace Council — which, according to some critics, aims to substituir to HIM.

Guterres highlighted that the organization is ready to help members to do more to tackle its most pressing issues, including climate catastrophe, inequality, conflict and the growing influence of technology companies.

But, warned the UN Secretary-General, “global problems will not be solved by a power to dictate the rules“, in an apparent reference to the administration of Donald Trump and his measures to abandon large parts of the UN system, while at the same time pressuring countries to join his “Peace Council”.

Guterres added that “two powers don’t solve either the problems dividing the world into rival spheres of influence“, in what appeared to be a reference to China and its growing role in global affairs.