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U.S. President Donald Trump is withholding the transfer of several budgets to the United Nations so far and the international organization, which is currently experiencing a serious economic crisis due to a sharp decline in its financial resources, has been forced to take drastic measures. According to a letter obtained by Ynet, the UN headquarters in New York has already begun making significant cuts, which are affecting the organization's ongoing activities.
Among the steps taken: cutting translation services; reducing live broadcasts of plenary debates; stopping holding meetings after 6:00 p.m.; shortening the length of reports by 10%; limiting the number of meetings with translation and interpretation services; delays in producing official minutes; lowering the temperature in the offices to save on heating costs; and even closing one of the main entrances to the UN headquarters on 42nd Street in Manhattan.
According to the letter, signed by the UN Secretary-General's Chief of Staff, Earle Courtenay Rattray, these steps are necessary to ensure that the organization can continue to operate, at least until the end of the year. "Without immediate spending restrictions, we will not be able to meet our financial obligations from September to December," the document states. It was also emphasized that due to the severity of the situation, the drastic measures taken last year will also continue, with new restrictions added to all key UN departments.
The impact of the measures is evident in every aspect of UN activity. For example, official meetings will only be held between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and discussions outside these hours – including on weekends – will only take place if funding for this comes from external sources. UN bodies that hold 10 or more meetings a week will be required to reduce them by 10%.
Translation and interpretation services, essential for multilingual discussions, will be provided only during official hours, and only to a limited extent to those entitled to them, according to the regulations. Furthermore, the number of meetings budgeted for interpretation will be reduced to 55 per week, and the total number of meetings of the organization will be cut by 10%.
The UN's 'outreach activities' are also being harmed
The UN's internal communications are also being affected: the production of official documents will be significantly delayed; the length of reports will be reduced by 10%; and processing of official transcripts and records will only take place when funding is available. Another significant impact is on UN publications, including official reports and journals, which will experience significant delays in distribution.
On the public level, the UN's outreach activities also are being severely affected: the number of live broadcasts will be significantly reduced; UNTV teams will operate in a reduced format; and coverage of Security Council events may be lacking. The letter notes that photos and videos may not be tagged or distributed on the same day. Translation services for the UN's main websites and official content will be limited, and some of the secretary-general's official messages will not be distributed in all of the organization's official languages.
Additionally, budget constraints led to the cancellation of an innovative artificial intelligence project designed to help diplomats navigate the 80-year-old UN archives. Events outside of working hours, such as exhibition openings or events in the building's dining room, will only take place with full external funding.
The financial crisis is also directly affecting the organization's research and training services. According to the document, access to the UN Digital Library resources will be limited, language learning programs will be reduced, and essential databases for experts and diplomats will be less accessible. Even the basic maintenance of the UN headquarters is affected by the cuts: heating levels will be reduced, the purchase of new equipment will be almost completely halted, and non-urgent maintenance work will be postponed until further notice.
"We will continue to monitor the cash situation and update the emergency measures in accordance with developments," the letter said. "However, given the severity of the crisis, it is clear that the UN is entering a period of unprecedented uncertainty, with a real impact on its ability to fulfill its mission."
Not just Trump: China is also delaying payments
The UN's budget crisis stems mainly from the fact that its member states are not paying in full and on time the appropriations they themselves approved to finance the organization. A major factor in this is the U.S., after the Trump administration froze most international aid and is now not paying its share regularly.
Trump also ordered withdrawal from the World Health Organization and the UN Human Rights Council, and halted all funding to UNRWA , the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees. He also ordered a review of U.S. membership in other UN organizations and its long-term participation in its activities. Trump and his designated UN ambassador, Elise Stefanik, accused the UN of being antisemitic and warned that if it did not change its ways the U.S. would withdraw from it altogether.
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In recent years, China has also begun to delay its payments to the UN, and the closure of several large peacekeeping missions has exacerbated the cash crunch. As a result, the UN has been forced to take emergency measures such as postponing reimbursements to countries that contribute peacekeepers, reducing planned activities, and even shutting down certain offices as has already happened in UN offices in Geneva.
The situation is particularly acute due to the UN's financial system, in which the budget is set by the General Assembly, but there is no clear penalty mechanism for countries that do not pay on time. Although the UN constitution states that a country that accumulates debt for more than two years will lose its right to vote, many countries deliberately maintain debt below this threshold. In the absence of effective sanctions, the UN is forced to rely on creative approaches to cash management – which leads to a serious impairment of its ability to function properly and provide basic services to member states.