By Matik Kueth
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, urged countries to contribute to the international body’s peacekeeping effort, saying it is “only as strong as member states’ commitment to it”.
Guterres, who spoke at a German-hosted ministerial summit in Berlin to discuss the future of peacekeeping on Tuesday, noted that peacekeeping missions had been experiencing major liquidity issues.
“Unfortunately, peacekeeping operations have been facing serious liquidity problems. It is essential that all member states respect their financial obligations, paying their contributions in full and on time,” Guterres said.
He pointed out that even with a budget “representing a tiny fraction of global military spending around one half of one per cent U.N. peacekeeping remains one of the most effective and cost-effective tools to build international peace and security.”
The UN chief did not provide specifics about the issues, but did concede that “these are tough times for the financing of our work across the board.”
The United Nations’ peacekeeping department currently leads 11 operations, in countries including Congo, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Lebanon, Cyprus and Kosovo.
The budget for nine of those operations during the fiscal year that ends on June 30 totals $5.6 billion, 8.2% lower than a year earlier. Each of the U.N.’s 193 member countries is legally obliged to pay its share toward peacekeeping.
More broadly, the U.N has been trying to adapt to funding cuts for humanitarian programs from its largest donor, the United States, under President Donald Trump’s administration.