US Pays $725 Million to UN, Averts Vote Loss Risk

The United Nations announced on Wednesday that it received $725 million from the United States for the regular budget. Spokesperson Farhan Haq said the U.S. also paid $102 million for peacekeeping on Friday. He said the U.S. still owes $1.312 billion to the regular budget, and that with these payments the U.S. is no longer in jeopardy of falling under Article 19 of the U.N. Charter for 2027. Under Article 19, a member can lose General Assembly voting rights if arrears exceed two years of annual fees, though grace periods are possible. The General Assembly convenes in New York next week. The Trump administration has criticized the U.N. and slashed funding to many U.N. agencies. In August a U.S. official said any payments would be contingent on continued U.N. reforms. The United States is the largest contributor to the U.N. budget. China paid $641.4 million toward the regular budget on September 1. The U.N. is pursuing cost-cutting and restructuring through its UN80 initiative amid a broader financial crisis.