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New York UN

STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS BY MARK SEAH, DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON AGENDA ITEM 136: IMPROVING THE FINANCIAL SITUATION OF THE UN AT THE MAIN PART OF THE 78TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, NEW YORK, 17 OCTOBER 2023

17 October 2023

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Mr Chair,


1 I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on agenda item 136: Improving the Financial Situation of the UN. ASEAN aligns itself with the statement delivered by Cuba on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

Mr Chair,


2 ASEAN thanks the Secretary-General and his team for their updates on the financial situation of the organisation. We thank ASG and Controller Mr Chandramouli Ramanathan for his update on 6 October and USG Catherine Pollard for her presentation on 9 October and the update this morning.


3 ASEAN remains worried about the liquidity situation of the UN, caused mainly by the late or non-payments of assessed contributions. It was troubling to hear that collections trailed estimates throughout the year, and the UN is now $216 million behind at the end of the third quarter. We were dismayed to learn that the Secretariat had to borrow the full amount of $250 million from the Working Capital Fund in August to meet its payroll obligations and will again borrow the full amount from the Special Account in October.


4 Despite beginning this year in a stable cash position, the organisation is now at risk of exhausting its entire liquidity reserve this year, and we are looking at ending this year with a cash deficit. We note from the Controller’s presentation that the UN is preparing for further spending restrictions in addition to the hiring freeze implemented in July. Continuing to operate on a cash conservation basis is not sustainable. It has already affected mandate delivery and would continue to undermine the effectiveness of the organisation, especially at this moment as we are looking to turbocharge the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.


5 ASEAN notes the same worrying trends for peacekeeping operations, where the percentage of unpaid assessments has risen to its highest level in four years, reaching 92% at the end of September. The total amount outstanding for peacekeeping operations is now $3.3 billion, exacerbating liquidity problems faced by peacekeeping operations.


Mr Chair,


6 Given the severe liquidity issues facing the regular and peacekeeping budgets, it is imperative that Member States fulfil our financial obligations in full, on time, and without conditions. We recognise that some Member States face genuine difficulties in paying their assessed contributions due to factors beyond their control. We commend Member States who, despite these difficulties, endeavour to meet their obligations to the UN. We stress the importance of continued regular updates by the Secretariat so that Member States are apprised of the financial situation of the UN and the proposed way forward.


Mr Chair,


7 ASEAN is fully committed to meeting our financial obligations to ensure that the UN remains a credible institution that is well-equipped to tackle the global challenges facing us today. We call on all Member States to do the same.


Thank you very much.

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