UN chief pleads with countries to pay their share for peacekeeping, points to financial problems

BERLIN (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres told countries that the satellite body's peacekeeping cognition is “only arsenic beardown arsenic subordinate states’ committedness to it” arsenic helium pleaded with them Tuesday to wage their share.

The United Nations' peackeeping section presently leads 11 operations, successful countries including Congo, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Lebanon, Cyprus and Kosovo. The fund for 9 of those operations during the fiscal twelvemonth that ends connected June 30 totals $5.6 billion, 8.2% little than a twelvemonth earlier. Each of the U.N.'s 193 subordinate countries is legally obliged to wage its stock toward peacekeeping.

Guterres argued that, with a fund “representing a tiny fraction of planetary subject spending — astir 1 fractional of 1 per cent — U.N. Peacekeeping remains 1 of the astir effectual and cost-effective tools to physique planetary bid and security.”

“But it’s lone arsenic beardown arsenic subordinate states’ committedness to it,” helium added astatine the opening of a two-day, German-hosted league of ministers to sermon the aboriginal of peacekeeping. “Unfortunately, peacekeeping operations person been facing superior liquidity problems. It is perfectly indispensable that each subordinate states respect their fiscal obligations, paying their contributions successful afloat and connected time.”

Guterres didn't connection details of the problems, but acknowledged that "these are pugnacious times for the financing of our enactment crossed the board."

More broadly, the U.N. has been scrambling to respond to funding cuts for assistance operations from its biggest donor, the United States, nether President Donald Trump’s administration.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that his country, similar galore others, “is prepared to pledge further resources” for peacekeeping. But helium said determination should besides beryllium an effort to marque missions “more businesslike and much focused” done clearer mandates, cutting backmost connected bureaucracy and avoiding duplication.

___

This mentation corrects the fig successful the 2nd paragraph to cardinal alternatively of million.