UN General Assembly chief calls on 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, Report informs via Reuters.

The United States has paid about $160 million of the more than $4 billion it owes to the UN, a United Nations spokesperson said last week, after Reuters noted that an initial payment was pending.

United Nations Secretary-General has warned the body faces "imminent financial collapse" due to unpaid fees.

"Every member state has to pay its contribution in full and on time, and $160 million is obviously not in full," said Annalena Baerbock, president of the UN General Assembly, when asked at a Geneva press briefing about the US payment.

US 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.