The U.S. government, led by President Donald Trump, has begun gradually paying $160 million to the United Nations (UN), while the total outstanding debt remains over $4 billion. Meanwhile, it is advancing the "Board of Peace" project, which analysts fear could diminish the UN's international role.
A UN spokesperson stated in a release that it received $160 million, approximately 4,994 million baht, from the United States as a partial payment toward the over $4 billion, or about 124,860 million baht, in overdue regular budget contributions.
President Donald Trump said at the inaugural meeting of the "Board of Peace" that the U.S. would provide financial support to strengthen the UN. "We are going to assist them financially, and we will ensure the United Nations can continue to operate," Trump said, adding, "I believe the UN has great potential, but so far it has not fully realized it."
The United States is the largest donor to the UN. However, under the Trump administration, the U.S. has refused to pay its assessed contributions for both the regular budget and peacekeeping budgets, cut voluntary funding for various UN agencies, and withdrawn from several UN-affiliated bodies.
UN officials reported that as of early February, the U.S. had significant arrears, including $2.19 billion in the regular budget—accounting for over 95% of the total outstanding debt owed by all countries worldwide—$2.4 billion in peacekeeping missions, both past and present, and $43.6 million owed to the UN's international courts.
The "Board of Peace," chaired by Trump himself, has been heavily criticized by experts as an interference that undermines the UN's authority. This project originated as part of a plan to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip, intended to oversee the temporary administration of that area.
Although the UN Security Council has recognized this board until 2027, it limited its mandate strictly to Gaza. Nevertheless, Trump later stated the board would expand its role to address conflicts worldwide.
UN experts view Trump's involvement in overseeing operations in foreign territories as resembling a "colonial-era structure." The board has been widely criticized for lacking Palestinian representation, and at the meeting on Thursday, 19 Feb 2024 GMT+7, no UN representatives attended either.
. Reuters