The United States will continue urging the United Nations to implement reforms even after pulling out of dozens of UN bodies and reducing millions of dollars in funding last year, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said on Wednesday, Feb 11. Waltz added that Washington would make an initial payment to the UN within weeks. Although the US remains the largest contributor to the UN budget, the Trump administration has withheld mandatory payments to the regular and peacekeeping budgets and sharply cut voluntary contributions to agencies with separate funding.

According to UN officials, the US owed 2.19 billion dollars to the regular budget as of early February, accounting for over 95 percent of total outstanding contributions from member states. It also owes 2.4 billion dollars for current and past peacekeeping operations and 43.6 million dollars for UN tribunals. Speaking in Geneva, Waltz did not specify how much would be paid but said the US would settle its dues while continuing to push for reforms. He emphasized ongoing pressure for greater efficiency, urging agencies to maintain or increase output with fewer resources.

He pointed to recent reform efforts that reduced the UN Secretariat’s regular budget by 20 percent through job cuts, hiring freezes, and limits on staff travel, calling it a positive start. During his two day visit to Geneva, Waltz is meeting officials from several UN agencies, including the refugee agency UNHCR, which is facing its deepest funding shortfall to date.

President Trump announced the US withdrawal from numerous international organisations and UN bodies, arguing they conflicted with US national interests. The US formally exited the World Health Organization that same month. Waltz said the UN must adopt cost saving measures such as expanding remote work, using AI for translation services, and relocating staff from high cost cities like New York and Geneva. Some agencies, including Unicef, have already begun shifting thousands of employees to more affordable locations.