NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, has warned that a worsening liquidity crisis at the United Nations is undermining global peacekeeping operations, echoing concerns raised by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Speaking at the opening session of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, Ambassador Iftikhar said that financial constraints were directly impacting mandate implementation, civilian protection, violence deterrence and the safety of peacekeepers in the field.
“UN peacekeeping remains an indispensable instrument for maintaining international peace and security,” he said, cautioning that growing political, operational and financial challenges require urgent and collective action by member states.
Earlier this month, Guterres warned that the UN could face “imminent financial collapse” unless member states pay their assessed contributions in full and on time or reform budgetary rules that compel the organisation to return unspent funds despite cash shortages. By the end of 2025, unpaid dues had reportedly reached a record $1.57 billion, threatening peace operations and programme delivery worldwide.
Highlighting Pakistan’s longstanding contributions, Ambassador Iftikhar noted that the country hosts one of the UN’s oldest peacekeeping missions, the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), and has remained among the largest and most consistent troop contributors for more than six decades.
He paid tribute to the 182 Pakistani peacekeepers who have lost their lives while serving under the UN flag, and said over 250,000 Pakistani personnel have participated in 48 UN missions across four continents.
The envoy cautioned that declining financial commitments and mission drawdowns without clear strategic direction could weaken the readiness of troop-contributing countries, affecting standby arrangements, rapid deployment capacities and specialised units.
Calling for reform, he stressed that peacekeeping must become more agile and better equipped to respond to evolving threats, including through the use of technology and enhanced partnerships. He underscored that civilian protection, ceasefire monitoring and deterrence against violations remain core responsibilities, adding that a lack of political progress should not be used as justification for prematurely ending missions.
Funding Crisis and Reform Efforts At UN
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric recently said the organisation’s cash-flow problems could be resolved if member states fulfilled their financial obligations. The crisis comes amid broader concerns about reduced funding from key contributors.
Under President Donald Trump, the United States has withheld mandatory payments to the UN’s regular and peacekeeping budgets and reduced voluntary contributions to several UN agencies. Washington has also moved to withdraw from certain international bodies, including the World Health Organisation.
In December, the UN appealed for a scaled-down 2026 aid budget, roughly half of what it had initially sought for 2025, reflecting a sharp decline in donor support despite rising humanitarian needs worldwide.
Guterres launched a reform initiative, dubbed UN80, aimed at cutting costs and improving efficiency. Although the approved 2026 regular budget is about $200 million higher than his proposal, it remains approximately 7 per cent lower than the 2025 level.
In a recent letter to member states, Guterres warned that the organisation could run out of cash by July, criticising what he described as a “Kafkaesque” rule requiring the UN to credit back unspent funds to member states even when contributions have not been fully received — a system he characterised as “a race to bankruptcy.”
NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, warned that peacekeeping operations are being directly undermined by a deepening United Nations liquidity crisis, which has also drawn stark warnings from UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres.
Earlier this month, Guterres said the world body could face “imminent financial collapse” unless member states pay their dues in full and on time or overhaul budget rules that force the UN to return unspent funds even when it lacks cash.
By the end of 2025, the UN posted a record $1.57 billion in unpaid dues, a shortfall that threatens programme delivery and peace operations globally.
Ambassador Iftikhar, speaking at the opening of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, warned that the financial shortfall was affecting mandate delivery, protection of civilians, deterrence against violence, and the safety of peacekeepers.
“The UN peacekeeping remains an indispensable instrument for maintaining international peace and security, but is facing growing political, operational and financial pressures that require collective action,” the ambassador said.
Recalling Pakistan’s contribution, the ambassador said, “The country hosts one of the oldest UN peacekeeping missions, the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan, and has been among the largest and longest-serving troop contributors for more than six decades.”
Paying tribute to 182 Pakistani peacekeepers who lost their lives under the UN flag, he said over 250,000 Pakistani peacekeepers had served in 48 missions across four continents.
The envoy cautioned that declining financial commitments and shrinking missions without a clear strategic direction could affect the readiness of troop-contributing countries, including standby arrangements, rapid deployment capabilities and specialised units.
Calling reform necessary, he said peacekeeping must become more agile, focused and better equipped to address evolving threats, including through technology and stronger partnerships.
He stressed that protection of civilians, deterrence against violations, and ceasefire monitoring and verification remain core tasks, adding that lack of political progress should not be used as a pretext to withdraw missions.
What is UN chief asking member states to do?
Without naming the United States, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said earlier this month the UN’s “cash-flow problem” could be solved if member states, who have an obligation to pay, pay.”
The crunch comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has launched a ‘Board of Peace’ with himself as lifetime chair, which some fear could undermine the UN, a body with 193 member states formed in the ashes of World War Two that works to maintain international peace and security.
Under Trump, as well as refusing to make mandatory payments to the UN’s regular and peacekeeping budgets, the US has slashed voluntary funding to UN agencies with their own budgets, and moved to exit US organisations, including the World Health Organisation.
In December, the UN appealed for a 2026 aid budget only half the size of what it had hoped for in 2025, acknowledging a plunge in donor funding at a time when humanitarian needs have never been greater.
Guterres launched a reform task force last year, UN80, seeking to cut costs and improve efficiency. The approved 2026 regular budget is roughly $200 million higher than he proposed, but about 7% lower than the approved 2025 budget.
Guterres warned in his letter that the UN could run out of cash by July and cited a “Kafkaesque” requirement for it to credit back hundreds of millions of dollars in unspent dues to states each year, even if it never received the money. UN officials hope to overhaul this “bizarre” rule, which Guterres has called “a race to bankruptcy.