It’s Not Too Late to Fix the U.N.

It’s Not Too Late to Fix the U.N.

The organization’s current cash crunch is a historic opportunity for reform.

Guterres is shown at a podium. August 26, 2025, 3:02 PM Comment icon View Comments ( )

The United Nations is in crisis. Secretary-General António Guterres has mandated 20 percent across-the-board spending cuts, amounting to more than $700 million. The proximate cause of the pinch is the United States’ clawback of around $1 billion in allocated funds, doubts over Washington’s future contributions, and, to a lesser extent, other nations’ retrenchments and practice of routinely paying dues late.

The crisis is not solely financial. Under President Donald Trump, the United States—which drove the U.N.’s founding—has turned its back on liberal internationalism. Wash