US halts funding to UN until reforms are made
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The United States has suspended its financial contributions to the United Nations until reforms are implemented within the organisation, according to US Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz.
Speaking to the American news organization Breitbart in an interview published Monday, Waltz stated, “The President is withholding American funding until we see the reforms.”
Waltz explained that UN Secretary-General António Guterres had agreed, under US pressure, to reduce the organisation’s budget by 15 per cent, cut overall personnel by 18 per cent, and decrease global peacekeeping forces by 25 per cent.
Speaking about the United Nations, the American envoy added: “We are going to give the UN tough love. I think we’re going to save it from itself in many ways, and we’re going to drive change.”
The UN is currently facing a budget deficit due to delayed payments from several member states, including the United States. The total amount of outstanding payments is estimated at around 3 billion US dollars.
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