The United Nations has a big money problem. The Secretary-General, António Guterres, gave a strong warning. The UN needs money to do its important work. However, many countries have not paid their full dues. This has created a large money shortage. The UN could have serious problems by July.
This money issue started because countries did not pay what they owe. This means the UN cannot do its basic jobs well. Mr. Guterres told all countries that the situation is very serious. He called it a "financial collapse." He asked countries to pay their money now. He also said the UN might need to change its money rules. Some important programmes are already having problems. This is because there is not enough money.
There is a strange rule in the UN's money system. It says the UN must pay back money for programmes it cannot run. This is because there is no money for them. So, the UN has to give back money it does not have. This makes the money problem worse. Mr. Guterres said this rule is not good. It makes it very hard for the UN to pay its bills.
Many countries owe money. The United States, which usually pays the most, has not paid all its dues. It has also left some UN groups. This makes the money problem bigger. However, many other countries also owe money or have not paid at all.
Because of the money problems, the UN is saving money. At its office in Geneva, escalators are often turned off. The heating is also reduced. Mr. Guterres said the whole UN system is at risk. Countries must pay what they owe. The UN might not be able to pay for important global work. This is a worrying future for world cooperation. Therefore, the UN is trying hard to avoid a money collapse.