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Cao Jiaxuan

A deepening cash crunch at the United Nations has reignited debate over the future of multilateralism, with analysts warning that the crisis also reflects a more profound shift in how the United States views the world body.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres last week warned that the organisation was at risk of “imminent financial collapse” as unpaid contributions threatened programme delivery, with funds potentially running out by July.
In a rare letter addressed to all 193 member states, Guterres urged governments to honour their mandatory payments or consider overhauling the UN’s financial rules to avoid further disruption.
Despite more than 150 member states having paid their dues for 2025, total arrears have climbed to US$1.56 billion – double the amount recorded in 2024.
UN officials said the US – the organisation’s largest contributor – owed about US$2.19 billion to the regular budget and had not paid an additional US$2.4 billion in peacekeeping contributions.
Washington, which accounts for 22 per cent of the UN’s core budget, has also withdrawn from several UN agencies, describing them as a waste of taxpayer money.
China, meanwhile – the second-largest contributor – covers about 20 per cent of the regular budget under a scale of assessments adjusted every three years based on national economic size.

While payment disputes are not new, analysts said the current stand-off represented a departure from past US practice.
Song Luzheng, a researcher at Fudan University’s China Institute, said Washington had historically used arrears as leverage to influence UN decision-making, often settling its dues before losing voting rights.
“During previous administrations, delayed payments were a bargaining tool,” Song said. “But under Trump, there is a more explicit aversion to the UN itself. The attitude has shifted from using the institution to attempting to sidestep it altogether.
“The bigger problem is not arrears themselves, but a lack of respect for the UN’s authority and dignity,” Song said, adding that unilateralism undermined the organisation far more than delayed payments.
US President Donald Trump told Politico on Sunday that he was unaware of the outstanding dues but said he could “solve the problem very easily” if the UN requested assistance, claiming he could persuade other countries to pay more.
Earlier this month, Trump announced plans to withdraw the United States from 66 UN and international organisations following a review of agreements deemed contrary to US interests.
Zhang Peng, an associate professor at Shanghai International Studies University, said Washington was likely to continue pulling out of multilateral mechanisms.
“The UN system will persist, but for the US, maximising its own interests now clearly takes precedence over multilateral commitments,” he said.
But observers cautioned against interpreting the crisis as an indication that the UN was facing imminent collapse.
Song described the situation as one of functional paralysis rather than institutional failure, with the organisation’s effectiveness hingeing on whether the five permanent members of the Security Council could still cooperate.
“The UN’s relevance may be diminishing, but it has not reached a terminal point,” Song said. “Its moral authority and role as a platform for dialogue still matter, particularly if major powers are willing to engage.”
The financial strain has also revived discussion over whether China should play a larger role in stabilising the organisation. Beijing has repeatedly called for the UN’s authority to be safeguarded, but experts said China was unlikely to fill the funding gap left by Washington.
“There is always a gap between rhetoric and practical considerations,” said Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China.
“China’s fiscal resources are under pressure,” he said, hinting it would be neither realistic nor appropriate to take on additional burdens.
Zhu Feng, dean of the international studies school at Nanjing University, said the UN should penalise member states that fail to meet their obligations, while also stressing that China should not assume extra financial responsibilities.
“China remains a developing country in per capita income terms,” he said, adding that Beijing would continue to emphasise shared responsibility rather than acting unilaterally.


Some analysts noted that the crisis could nonetheless create diplomatic opportunities. Song said tensions with Washington could encourage closer coordination between China and Europe in defending multilateral institutions. “Both sides have a shared interest in maintaining the UN as a symbol of the post-war international order,” he said.
Wang Huiyao, founder and president of Beijing-based think tank the Centre for China and Globalisation, agreed. He said recent visits by European leaders to China underscored a shared interest in preserving the UN system at a time of US disengagement.
Wang suggested that interim cooperation frameworks – described as “UN minus one” arrangements – could help sustain multilateral coordination if Washington remained on the sidelines.
But he said such approaches were framed “less as an effort by China to capitalise on the situation than as a continuation of its long-standing support for multilateralism”.


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United Nations chief has warned of financial collapse due to unpaid fees, a situation also said to reflect a shift in how US sees the body


United Nations chief has warned of financial collapse due to unpaid fees, a situation also said to reflect a shift in how US sees the body.


As UN grapples with cash crisis don’t expect China to fill the gap, experts say

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}United Nations chief has warned of financial collapse due to unpaid fees, a situation also said to reflect a shift in how US sees the body

United Nations chief has warned of financial collapse due to unpaid fees, a situation also said to reflect a shift in how US sees the body