The world must save UN from financial turmoil

The United Nations (UN) is financially sick, and it is time to save it. Founded in 1945 with the core responsibility of ensuring peace and security, promoting human rights, delivering humanitarian aid, and upholding international law, and other global issues, it is safe to say that the UN is facing a major challenge that threatens […]

The United Nations (UN) is financially sick, and it is time to save it. Founded in 1945 with the core responsibility of ensuring peace and security, promoting human rights, delivering humanitarian aid, and upholding international law, and other global issues, it is safe to say that the UN is facing a major challenge that threatens its relevance and effectiveness.

As a symbol of global unity, peace and cooperation that provides some level of measure to world excesses and political balance, the UN has become the advocate of many poor and vulnerable countries. Now more than ever, as this global body clocks 80 years of existence, the prestige and authority that once made it a symbol of global leadership and moral authority are being seriously threatened.

Before the establishment of the United Nations, the League of Nations failed to confront the excesses of powerful states, particularly its own permanent members. This failure ultimately led to its collapse. Today, the UN faces a similar dilemma, as it finds itself entangled in great power politics. Many of the Western powers that hold permanent seats on the Security Council are increasingly bypassing international law and acting in ways that undermine the very principles and Charter of the United Nations.

No doubt, the UN is not perfect, but it has held its own against being bullied by especially the west led by the United States of America. It has equally remained consistent in its approach to political accountability and ensuring equal voices as enshrined in its chatter and calling out countries that circumvent international law, however powerful they may be.  

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This has placed it in a financially vulnerable position, especially when many of the individuals or states it occasionally calls out have the backing of powerful members that have the ability to punish it financially. The recent massive aid cuts by the United States of America has significantly impacted UN operations, forcing agencies to reduce or halt aid deliveries. Besides that, the continued late or non-payment of dues by member states has left the UN in a vulnerable position.

Records from the UN show that as at May 2025, only 75 countries out of its 193 members have settled their dues in full and on time. But this delay in remittance did not start today. UN Secretary-General, António Guterres recently said for at least the past seven years, the United Nations has faced a liquidity crisis because not all member states pay in full, while many others do not pay on time.

He said within the time under review, the UN had received $1.8 billion against the $3.5 billion regular budget assessments for 2025 with the US owing the highest cost of about $1.5 billion, China owing $597 million, Russia owing $72 million, Saudi Arabia owing $42 million, while Mexico was owing $38 million, and Venezuela $38 million. Guterres had said an additional $137 million was yet to be paid by other Member States.

Already, the financial crunch is biting. UN activities have been scuttled to a large extent with the organisation cutting its spendings. This crisis will no doubt put millions of lives, especially those in need of humanitarian aid at risk. Coming at a time when there is wide division among member states, ongoing wars and trigger-happy-politicians ready to start wars, without minding the consequences as well as high humanitarian and environmental challenges, it is fair to say that the world needs the UN now more than ever.

It is therefore time to come together, both permanent and non permanent members, both strong and vulnerable members to save the United Nations. To do this, every member country must begin by meeting their financial obligation. The UN needs to survive to do what it was set up to do; which is to save humanity from itself.

The big global players must stop the game of intimidation. Attempt to manipulate the UN through bullying the organisation or its staff for not adhering to their every whim and caprice must end. They must come to terms with the fact that financial blackmail, just to influence certain UN decisions or silence UN staff from holding political leaders that align with western ideology is counterproductive and a threat to global peace.

While we call on all countries to fulfil their financial and morale commitments to the organisation, we especially urge the smaller and less powerful countries to take their commitment to the UN seriously. Afterall, the United Nations serves as a crucial lifeline for them by offering global representation, peacekeeping support, humanitarian aid, and a platform to uphold rights and development goals. The United Nation itself must come up with a new drive to ensure that all member states pay up. To do this, perhaps there is a need for a new thinking, a new approach and new reorientation.