UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the United States to pay its assessed contributions to the world body.
Guterres made the appeal in a statement released through a spokesperson on Thursday.
The White House announced the previous day that US President Donald Trump had signed a document authorizing Washington's withdrawal from 66 international organizations, conventions and treaties.
The statement says the secretary-general regrets the announcement by the White House. It goes on to say that assessed contributions to the United Nations' regular and peacekeeping budgets, approved by the General Assembly, are a legal obligation under the UN Charter for all member states, including the US.
Washington is required to pay 22 percent of these budgets. That's the largest share of any member state, as payments are largely determined by economic size. The UN says the US government has yet to pay its 2025 contributions.
Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, also criticized the US move in a statement released on Thursday. The climate change treaty is one of the 66 commitments Trump seeks to exit.
Stiell said the decision "can only harm the US economy, jobs and living standards, as wildfires, floods, mega-storms and droughts get rapidly worse."
But he stressed that "the doors remain open for the US to reenter in the future."

Quiz 1:
According to the article, what did Donald Trump sign regarding international organizations?
A. A document authorizing increased funding for the UN.
B. A document authorizing Washington's withdrawal from 66 international organizations.
C. A statement praising the UN's peacekeeping efforts.
D. A bill establishing a new climate change treaty.

Quiz 2:
What percentage of the UN’s regular and peacekeeping budgets is the US required to pay?
A. 10 percent
B. 15 percent
C. 22 percent
D. 30 percent

Quiz 3:
Who criticized the US move and highlighted potential negative economic consequences?
A. Simon Stiell
B. Antonio Guterres
C. Donald Trump
D. A spokesperson for the White House

[Answer block]
Answers:
Quiz 1: B
Quiz 2: C
Quiz 3: A