Publicly available information shows that the United States has failed to pay its assessed WHO membership contributions for the past two years, accumulating arrears of about $260 million. In addition, several hundred million dollars in voluntary contributions pledged for 2025 have yet to be delivered.
At a press briefing last week, the WHO said its member states would examine the issue of the unpaid U.S. contributions to determine whether Washington meets the conditions required to leave the organization.
Although the WHO constitution does not explicitly spell out a withdrawal clause, it has been interpreted as allowing members to exit if they provide one year’s advance notice and fully settle their financial obligations for the organization’s current fiscal year.
The United States, however, has ignored repeated requests from the WHO to clear the outstanding payments. According to U.S. media reports, a State Department spokesperson has made clear that Washington does not intend to repay the arrears before its withdrawal takes effect. Several people involved in WHO global programs have also said they believe the likelihood of the United States settling the debt is “close to zero.”
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