UN faces cash crisis, shuts down headquarters; India pays its share of $2.3 billion
The United Nations headquarters in the New York City will remain closed this weekend due to cash crisis.
"The UNHQ buildings in NYC will be closed on weekends due to the ongoing crisis," the organisation tweeted.
The thread also put forward a question -- "Has your country made its contribution to this year's regular UN budget?."
As per documents shared by the UN, 131 member states have paid their regular budget assessments in full. Only 34 countries however paid their regular budget assessments in full within the 30-day due period specified in the UN's financial regulations.
India's Ambassador and Permanent representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin had said on October 11 that India was one of the 35 countries to have paid all its dues to the UN on time. Other countries to pay dues on time included Canada, Singapore, Bhutan, Finland, New Zealand and Norway.
UN has a total of 193 members and its operating budget for 2018-19 is close to USD 5.4 billion excluding the money for peacekeeping operations. Meanwhile India has contributed USD 23,253,808 this year.
The world organisation is facing the worst cash crisis in nearly a decade and it might not be able to pay the salaries to its officials next month, said the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Guterres in his statement, wrote to the member states, "about the worst cash crisis facing the United Nations in nearly a decade. The organisation runs the risk of depleting its liquidity reserves by the end of the month and defaulting on payments to staff and vendors."
