US Demands UN Reforms, Withholds Billions

0:00It's April 28th. This is Global News today, powered by AI Year World, in real time. I'm Cory with the story. The U.S. is holding back billions in payments to the United Nations and to the world body make some serious reforms. We're talking over $2 billion owe to the regular budget alone, plus another $2.4 billion for peacekeeping, and $43.6 million for tribunals. That's more than 95% of what all countries owe combined. The conditions focus on slashing costs and pushing back against China's growing sway there. In two recent diplomatic notes, the U.S. laid out nine quick changes they want right away. Things like fixing the bloated U.N. pension setup, banning long haul business class flights for senior staff and mid-level pros, trimming the top, ranks even more, and cutting 10% from outdated peacekeeping ops. One big ask, stop China from funneling tens of millions yearly into the Secretary-General's discretionary fund. U.N. folks are pushing back a bit, calling these payments a straight-up treaty obligation

1:03for every member state. Spokesman Stephanie Dujaric says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is already driving major reforms to make the organization leaner and smarter with. It's cash. Meanwhile, neither the U.S. nor Chinese missions at the U.N. jump to common when pressed. This fits the U.S. pattern of leaning hard on the U.N. They've pulled out of dozens of its agencies this year and sliced millions and funding last year all to force change. The debt pile started February with the U.S. on the hook for over 4.6 billion total across categories. As talks heat up, these demands could reshape how the U.N. runs its money and who calls the shots, keeping the pressure on for more fish and global player.