U.N. Says It’s in Danger of Financial Collapse Because of Members’ Unpaid Dues

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 5 min read 100% complete by Farnaz FassihiJanuary 31, 2026 at 01:09 AM

AI Summary

long article 5 min

The United Nations is facing a potential financial collapse and could run out of money by July 2026 if member states, particularly the United States, fail to pay their annual dues. Secretary-General António Guterres warned member states of the "imminent financial collapse," stating the situation is more dire than previous financial struggles. If the dues are not paid, the UN may be forced to shut down its New York headquarters by August, cancel the annual General Assembly in September, and close the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The United States owes approximately $2.2 billion, representing about 95% of the total amount owed to the UN. The General Assembly authorized a $3.45 billion budget for 2026, covering peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 30% U.N. Security Council 40% General Assembly ×350% New York ×360% António Guterres ×270% United States ×290% UN ×10100%

Keywords

financial collapse 100% unpaid dues 90% united nations 90% annual dues 80% member states 70% u.n. headquarters 60% budget 50% united states 50% general assembly 50% humanitarian affairs 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.60

Source Transparency

Source

New York Times - World

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.30)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

United States

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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financial collapse unpaid dues united nations annual dues member states u.n. headquarters budget united states general assembly humanitarian affairs

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