UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. — The United Nations is pressing the United States for a multibillion-dollar payment after Washington’s UN dues tab climbed above $4.6 billion, Tuesday. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the world body could face “imminent financial collapse” unless member states pay in full and on time or agree to overhaul financial rules, Feb. 10, 2026.
U.N. officials say the United States owes about $2.19 billion in assessed contributions to the U.N.’s regular operating budget, roughly $2.4 billion tied to current and past peacekeeping missions and $43.6 million for U.N. tribunals. They say the U.S. is responsible for more than 95% of outstanding dues to the regular U.N. budget and did not pay into the regular budget in 2025, leaving $827 million due, plus $767 million assessed for 2026, with the rest made up of earlier arrears.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the Secretariat has been in touch with Washington but is still waiting for a timetable and dollar figure. “We’re waiting to see exactly when payments will be made and in what amount,” he said, according to an Associated Press report from U.N. headquarters.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz said an initial payment is coming within weeks. “You’ll certainly see an initial tranche of money very shortly,” Waltz told Reuters, calling it a significant down payment.
UN dues bill: what Washington owes
The U.N.’s regular budget funds core operations and mandated work, with member states assessed a share based largely on the size of their economies. The United States has the largest regular-budget assessment at 22%.
Peacekeeping arrears have long been a flashpoint because U.S. law caps annual peacekeeping payments at 25%, even when the U.N. assessment rate is higher. A Congressional Research Service brief on U.S. funding to the U.N. system notes that legislative limits, policy withholdings and delayed payments can contribute to arrears.
- Regular budget arrears: about $2.19 billion
- Peacekeeping arrears: about $2.4 billion
- Tribunals arrears: $43.6 million
What late UN dues mean for UN operations
When large assessments arrive late, the U.N. often slows spending, delays hiring and limits travel to keep payroll and essential meetings covered. Reuters reported that 55 countries paid their annual contributions by the Feb. 8 deadline.
Guterres has warned that cash for the regular budget could run out by July. The General Assembly can also suspend voting rights for countries that fall two years behind on mandatory payments, though exemptions can be granted.
UN dues crises are not new
The organization faced a similar liquidity squeeze in October 2019. NPR reported then that $1.3 billion in dues was outstanding and that the U.N. warned it could struggle to cover payrolls and services without faster payments.
An Associated Press story published by CityNews that week described the U.N.’s “worst cash crisis” in nearly a decade, underscoring how recurring payment delays can quickly become an operational problem.
For now, U.N. officials say the immediate question is how much the United States will send — and whether the payment will cover both back arrears and the current year’s UN dues or only buy short-term breathing room.
