United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed shock and regret following the White House’s announcement that the United States (US) will withdraw from several UN multilateral entities.
Speaking during a media briefing on Thursday through his Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres stressed that financial contributions to the United Nations are not optional, but legal obligations under the UN Charter.
He said contributions to both the UN’s regular budget and the peacekeeping budget are approved by the General Assembly and must be honoured by all member states, including the US.
Despite the decision by Washington, the Secretary-General reaffirmed that all UN agencies and bodies will continue to carry out their mandates as entrusted to them by member states.
“The Secretary-General regrets the decision by the White House regarding the United States’ withdrawal from a number of UN entities,” Dujarric said. “As we have consistently said and underscored, assessed budgets of the UN regular budget and peacekeeping budget are legal obligations under the UN Charter.”
The development has raised concerns within the UN system about the potential impact on multilateral cooperation and global programmes, particularly those dependent on US funding.
However, the UN leadership maintains that its work will continue uninterrupted, with agencies committed to fulfilling their responsibilities despite the withdrawal.
–ChannelAfrica–
