The administration of US President Donald Trump has begun transferring $725 million to the United Nations to reduce its arrears, reports infohub.kz.
The funds will go to the UN's regular budget. The State Department informed Congress of the payment plan on August 4.
However, Washington's total debt to the UN is much larger. The organization estimates that the US owes over $4 billion. American officials consider this figure inflated and claim that some payments have already been made.
The UN previously reported that the US owes about $2 billion for the regular budget, another $2.2 billion for peacekeeping operations, and $44 million to international tribunals.
Due to payment delays, the UN has faced a cash shortage. Secretary-General António Guterres has warned of financial difficulties and the need to cut spending.
Experts note that the $725 million transfer will only partially solve the problem. "It will keep the ship afloat a little longer," former UN official Eugene Chen told Reuters.
According to him, if the US does not continue paying its debt, the country could lose its vote in the UN General Assembly as early as January. Under UN rules, a state can lose its voting rights if its arrears equal the amount of its contributions for the previous two years.
Under the Trump administration, the US has also cut funding for several UN agencies and withdrawn from some international commitments. Additionally, Washington has withheld about $153 million for political reasons. Some of these funds were intended for the UN Human Rights Council and the UN agency aiding Palestinian refugees.
As of August 18, 129 of the 193 UN member states had paid their contributions in full.