As the world’s largest economy, the United States has not fully paid its share of United Nations spending, setting a bad example for the international community, an expert said, as the UN General Assembly approved its annual regular budget for 2022 of about $3.12 billion.
Zuo Xiying, a professor at the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China, said the US’ default on its UN payment will directly affect the agency’s functions and set a bad example for the whole world.
The arrearage, he said, could be regarded as a utilitarian perspective, which reflects the US’ attitude of paying the share for its own benefit.
“It indicates that Washington’s ‘multilateralism’ is an interest-centered and interest-oriented one. If it is good for the US, the country will use it. If not, it will abandon it,” the professor said.
Budget obligations for UN member states are based on economic factors such as gross national income, making the US, China and Japan the top three contributors to the budget.
The US accounts for 22 percent of the upcoming budget, with China at 15.25 percent, a rise from 12.01 percent in the current period, and Japan at 8.03 percent, a decrease from the current 8.56 percent.
As of Dec 23, 145 member states, including China, have paid their regular budget assessments in full, the UN said.
Slight reduction
The newly approved budget amount was the same as the $3.12 billion budget unveiled by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in mid-October, which is slightly lower than that of last year, a reduction of 2.8 percent despite additional activities and mandates.
The UN has a separate budget for its peacekeeping operations. The peacekeeping budget is $6.38 billion for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2022. The regular budget covers the calendar year.
With the start of the 2020 fiscal year, the UN Secretariat shifted from a biennium to an annual budget cycle for the first time since 1973. It is the organization’s third annual budget in 50 years.
The regular budget covers UN activities across a range of areas, including political affairs, international justice and law, regional cooperation for development, human rights and humanitarian affairs, and public information.
Under then-president Donald Trump’s administration, the US withdrew from the World Health Organization last year, with its share of the fund unpaid.
Experts widely criticized the move, saying it would be catastrophic for public health in the midst of a deadly pandemic, it was gathered from China Daily Liu Xuan’s report also contributed to by Xinhua.
