UN chief orders travel, meetings, heat cut over cash crisis

Meetings cancelled. Escalators stopped. Official travel limited. UN documents delayed. Air conditioning and heating reduced. These are some of the measures Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has ordered effective Monday at all UN facilities and operations around the world to deal with the United Nations' worst cash crisis in nearly a decade.

The UN chief said in a letter to the heads of all UN entities that the emergency measures "will affect working conditions and operations until further notice." UN management chief Catherine Pollard told the General Assembly's budget committee Friday that 128 countries had paid USD 1.99 billion in dues for the UN's 2019 operating budget by October 4.

She said USD 1.386 billion is owed for this year by 65 countries — including more than USD 1 billion by the United States.