The financial condition of the United Nations has worsened. Fountains outside the headquarters, including the AC, escalators at the United Nations, will also be closed from Monday to cut expenses. Apart from this, the officials and staff working in the headquarters have also been asked to cut down the official meeting, travel and translate the documents into six languages.
The new system will be applicable from Monday
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres issued the order saying that the new system will come into effect from Monday. This system will be implemented in the United Nations Headquarters and other offices around the world. On Friday, the Secretary-General has written a letter saying that this system will remain in force till the situation improves.
Member countries did not pay arrears
According to the statement issued by the Secretary-General, if the member countries did not pay their annual dues, the functioning and reform process of the United Nations would be at risk. Out of 193 member countries, 128 countries have made annual payments of the outstanding dues so far.
Most serious crisis at UN in a decade
The United Nations is facing such a severe financial crisis for the first time in the last decade. The organization is facing a threat of cash being spent in the reserve by the end of October, which could pose a problem for employees to pay for salaries and other services.
Catherine Pollard, chairwoman of the United Nations Department of Managers, told the budget committee of the General Assembly that $ 128 million had been received from only 128 countries as of October 4. But 65 countries have not paid $ 138.6 million. America alone has to give 100 million dollars to United Nation.
This is the second consecutive year that the UN has also scrapped its reserve budget. While 78 percent of the amount was received from member countries last year, this year it has come down to 70 percent. According to this, the outstanding amount of one year is $ 230 million. Even if we get the full budget, the member countries will have to raise a total amount of 808 million dollars in the next two months.
China gives the United States the most money after the United States. Due to the shortage of cash, appointments to new positions are happening in very limited numbers and non-paid expenses are also limited. This is impacting the UN’s efforts to focus on its functioning and results.
Last week, the UN chief said that he was forced to take extraordinary steps due to lack of cash at record levels. Appointments are not being made on vacant posts, trips are being made only when they are very important, meetings are cancelled or postponed. For these reasons the functioning of the U.N. will have an impact not only on the New York, Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi offices but also on the regional commissions.