United States, Jan. 21 -- By Carlisle Richardson, the Interpreter

The recent news that Tonga was among seven countries that had lost their right to vote in the United Nations General Assembly over unpaid dues has brought an additional element to an already complex issue over the financing of the United Nations.

In 2019, the Secretary General highlighted the UN's liquidity crisis as a result of non-payment of dues by member states, which eventually resulted in cost-saving measures being put in place at the Secretariat. U.S President Trump has often criticised the current payment scheme, termed the "scale of assessments," as being unfair to the United States. The U.S contribution to the UN budget stands at 22% of the overall budget.

The ...