The United Nations is at risk of imminent financial collapse due to member states not paying their fees, the body's head has warned. António Guterres said the UN faced a financial crisis which was deepening, threatening programme delivery, and that money could run out by July.
He wrote in a letter to all 193 member states that they had to honour their mandatory payments or overhaul the organisation's financial rules to avoid collapse. The warning comes after the UN's largest contributor, the US, refused to contribute to its regular and peacekeeping budgets and withdrew from several agencies citing waste concerns. Several other members are also in arrears or withholding payments.
In late 2025, the UN General Assembly approved a partial change to its financial system, yet the crisis persists, exacerbated by rules requiring the refund of unspent funds. Signs have been put up in UN headquarters in Geneva to warn of the fiscal situation, with austerity measures in place such as turning off escalators and lowering heating.
Guterres emphasized that past crises were different, noting that recent decisions not to honour assessed contributions jeopardize the UN's integrity and operations. He stated that 77% of the total owed was paid in 2025, leaving a record amount unpaid while also returning millions of dollars that the UN never held.
Guterres cautioned that if member states do not meet their obligations, an overhaul of financial rules is necessary to prevent imminent collapse. The UN's financial struggles have affected humanitarian efforts globally, leading to closures of critical services and cuts in aid during a tumultuous period.
