NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 10 — The President of the United Nations General Assembly Annalena Baerbock has warned that the United Nations’ deepening liquidity crisis is threatening peacekeeping operations, humanitarian assistance, and development programmes worldwide.
She urged member states to fully meet their financial obligations to the world body.
Speaking during a press conference at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Baerbock said the UN is under severe financial strain due to unpaid assessed contributions from member states and declining voluntary funding from key donors.
“We should not sugarcoat the situation. The UN is in a deep liquidity crisis,” she said.
The warning comes as the United Nations grapples with rising humanitarian needs across multiple conflict zones while struggling to mobilize adequate resources to sustain its global operations.
Baerbock noted that UN Secretary-General António Guterres had begun the year by urging member states to pay their assessed contributions on time, stressing that predictable and timely payments are essential for the organization’s functioning.
“Paying your contribution is not optional, it’s an obligation for every member state,” she said.
Refund rule
She also criticized existing financial rules that require the UN to refund unspent funds to member states even when some countries have not fully paid their assessed contributions, describing the arrangement as counterproductive.
“At the moment, the UN has to pay back money it never received because one of the larger member states did not pay its contribution at all,” she said.
According to Baerbock, the funding shortfalls are already undermining critical peacebuilding and peacekeeping operations, weakening the UN’s ability to respond effectively to conflicts and maintain stability in fragile regions.
“If you call for a stronger role for peace and security at the UN, you cannot undermine peacekeeping by failing to pay your contribution,” she said.
Beyond assessed contributions, Baerbock also raised concern over declining voluntary funding from major donor countries, noting that recent withdrawals have significantly affected several UN agencies.
Food security at risk
She warned that the consequences are already being felt by vulnerable populations, particularly in food security and nutrition programmes.
“We see on the ground that this is not only a devastating situation for people, but people are literally starving,” she said. “We must be very careful with food programmes, especially those involving infant nutrition.”
Baerbock added that the funding crisis risks undermining broader efforts to promote global peace and stability, emphasizing that humanitarian assistance, development, and security are closely interconnected.
“Development aid, human rights work, and peace and security are interconnected,” she said.
Her remarks come amid growing concern within the UN system over widening gaps between humanitarian needs and available funding. Agencies supporting refugees, displaced populations, and conflict-affected communities have repeatedly warned of potential programme cuts due to resource shortages.
Despite the financial pressures, Baerbock defended ongoing UN reform efforts under the UN80 Initiative, saying the goal is not merely cost-cutting but improving efficiency and delivery across the system.
The initiative seeks to streamline mandates, reduce duplication among agencies, and enhance coordination of humanitarian operations, including pilot programmes in Sudan and Somalia.
However, she stressed that structural reforms alone cannot compensate for missing financial contributions.
Her message to member states was unequivocal: the effectiveness of the United Nations depends on governments honoring their financial commitments.
“If member states want the UN to deliver on peace, security, and humanitarian assistance, they must provide the resources required to do so,” she said.