U.S. pays $160 mln toward UN dues exceeding $4 bln

The United States has made a partial payment of approximately $160 million toward its outstanding contributions to the United Nations, a UN spokesperson said Thursday. The payment covers part of Washington’s arrears to the organization’s regular budget.

According to the statement, the United States remains the largest contributor to the UN budget but still owes substantial amounts. As of early February, U.S. arrears to the regular UN budget totaled $2.19 billion, accounting for more than 95% of all outstanding contributions by member states. Washington also owes $2.4 billion for current and past peacekeeping operations and $43.6 million for UN tribunals.

The payment comes as U.S. President Donald Trump convened the first meeting of his Board of Peace initiative. During the opening session, Trump said Washington would provide financial support to strengthen the United Nations and ensure its long-term viability. He noted that the organization has significant potential but has not fully achieved its objectives.

Under the current administration, the United States has declined to make certain mandatory payments to the UN’s regular and peacekeeping budgets and has reduced voluntary funding to several UN agencies. Washington has also withdrawn from multiple UN bodies.

The Board of Peace, launched last month and initially proposed late last year, was introduced as part of Trump’s plan to end the conflict in Gaza. A UN Security Council resolution approved the board’s mandate through 2027, limiting its activities to Gaza, where it was intended to oversee temporary governance arrangements following Israel’s military campaign.

Trump later stated that the Board’s work would extend beyond Gaza to address global conflicts.

Earlier, Qazinform reported that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered a speech at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace.