Geneva, Switzerland - Recent

The United Nations (UN) Office in Geneva is adopting a series of cost-saving measures as it faces an unprecedented budget crisis due to some member states not paying their dues.

In 2023, 51 states, including the U.S., Venezuela, Somalia and Afghanistan had not paid their membership fees in full.

The United Nations office in Geneva, known as UNOG is home to administrative offices for the world body while also hosting a number of major programs, including humanitarian relief, human rights and trade and development.

It is at the center of global diplomacy, with hundreds of meetings taking place to try to shape various global crises. This year, however, the UNOG is facing a liquidity crisis, meaning drastic cost-saving cuts are needed.

Cost-cutting measures include reducing heating in the winter and cooling in the summer, while some buildings have been closed altogether. Operational hours, staff travel and procurement have also seen cuts, raising concerns about the UNOG's ability to carry out its mission.

An investigation into the human rights situation in Sudan is one program affected due to financial restrictions.

The United States owes the most but continues to make partial payments towards its debt, which stood at 1.1 billion U.S. dollars for 2023.

The Biden administration has said it wants to pay but the U.S. Congress has not passed a budget allowing it to do so.

Somalia, Venezuela and Afghanistan have lost their voting rights at the UN General Assembly due to lack of payment.

The UNOG said it had to find a 13.5 percent reduction in its budget, which amounts to 12 million U.S. dollars. The office is warning that if members fail to make up the shortfall, its operations and staff are at risk.

The UN office in Geneva says the crisis can be resolved if all member countries honor their financial commitments.

Shotlist:
Geneva, Switzerland - Recent:
1. Various of UN sign, visitors;
2. Various of Palace of Nations, flags;
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Michele Zaccheo, Chief, UN Geneva TV Radio Webcast:
"The priorities are maintaining business continuity and safeguarding our staff and being able to pay our staff. So this is why the cuts have happened in the operational budget. And in actual fact we are looking at more than a 30 percent reduction in the actual operating budget in order to maintain this multinational platform, if you will, and the staff salaries.";
4. Various of building;
5. Various of poster reading "In response to the ongoing UN Regular Budget Liquidity Crisis";
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Achim Wennmann, Director, Strategic Partnerships Geneva Graduate Institute:
"This type of multilateral system is a multilateral system that is funded by states. So ultimately it is not a crisis of the United Nations itself, but it is a crisis that member states are responsible for themselves. So they have to look inside themselves and make the system work because ultimately everyone loses if that system doesn't work.";
7. Various of building.

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