The United States under President Donald Trump has cut its contribution to the United Nations annual budget by a massive $285 million.
The US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley made this announcement in a Christmas Eve statement on Sunday.
The statement quoted Haley as saying that the cut, which takes effect from 2018-2019, was to ensure that the generosity of the American people was not taken advantage of or remain unchecked.
The announcement is coming few days after a special session of the UN General Assembly passed a resolution against Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel.
Read the full statement below:
“Today, the United Nations agreed on a budget for the 2018 – 2019 fiscal year . Among a host of other successes , the United States negotiated a reduction of over $ 285 m off the 2018- 2019 final budget.
“In addition to these significant cost savings , we reduced the UN ’ s bloated management and support functions , bolstered support for key U . S. priorities throughout the world , and instilled more discipline and accountability throughout the UN system.
“The inefficiency and overspending of the United Nations are well known . We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked . This historic reduction in spending – in addition to many other moves toward a more efficient and accountable UN – is a big step in the right direction.
“While we are pleased with the results of this year ’ s budget negotiations , you can be sure we’ ll continue to look at ways to increase the UN ’ s efficiency while protecting our interests.”
After the vote had passed 128-9 with 35 abstentions in New York City on Thursday, Haley had threatened to cut America’s spending on the UN and countries that voted against her.
The UN’s budget for 2016-2017 was $5.4 billion.