IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi Says UN Must Rebuild Trust With US and Top Donors

WASHINGTON, August 27. /TASS/. The United Nations needs to rebuild trust with its largest donors, including the United States, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, who is seeking the post of UN secretary-general, said.

"I think there has to be a restoration of trust [in the UN relations] with not only the United States but the so-called Geneva Group - the top ten contributors, who, I would say, agree in private with much of what the United States says. They don't say it in public, but I don't see any of them coming and saying, ‘Don't worry, UN, we will pay for them"," he said, speaking at the Stimson Center in Washington.

When asked whether the UN could effectively perform its functions without contributions from the United States, Grossi said it could not. "Perhaps this is why the administration has decided to withhold payments or to delay payments. At the risk of being a bit provocative, I would say I don't find it illogical. The United States is paying 22-25%, and they do not like the way the institution is, you know, going. They may question it. Of course, assess contributions are an obligation. There is no doubt about it. This is an obligation, and it should be complied with," he noted.

Reuters previously reported that Washington was preparing to make a $725 mln payment to the UN budget, which would reduce US arrears to the organization. The report noted that this sum is less than 20% of over $4 bln that the UN said in May the United States owed it. The US side maintains that its arrears are significantly lower.

The UN has faced a liquidity crisis as the United States, its largest donor, has declined to pay its contributions to the regular budget and has also reduced voluntary funding for UN agencies.