UN General Assembly chief calls for US to pay fees in full

The head of the ​United Nations General Assembly on ​Tuesday urged top ‌contributor the United ​States to pay its fees in full after Washington made only a partial payment ‌to the global body, amounting to less than 5% of the total amount owed. The United States has paid about $160 million of the ‌more than $4 billion it owes to the U.N., a United ‌Nations spokesperson said last week, after Reuters reported that an initial payment was pending.

United Nations Secretary-General has warned the body faces "imminent financial collapse" due to unpaid ⁠fees. "Every ​member states ⁠has to pay its contribution in full and on time, and $160 million is obviously ⁠not in full," said Annalena Baerbock, president of the U.N. General Assembly, ​when asked at a Geneva press briefing about the U.S. ⁠payment.

U.S. President Donald Trump last week hosted the first meeting of his Board ⁠of ​Peace initiative that experts say could undermine the United Nations. Asked whether the United Nations risks being sidelined, Baerbock said the ⁠global body endorsed the board only in the context of Gaza.

"And for ⁠everything else ⁠regarding peace and security, we do have an international institution and legitimate body. It's called the United Nations," ‌she ‌said.