The Trump administration has begun the process of transferring $725 million to the United Nations, according to a congressional notification reviewed by Reuters. Aid experts described the move as a positive step toward addressing billions of dollars in unpaid US contributions to the international organization.

The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the payment. The transfer comes from an administration that has significantly reduced funding for numerous UN agencies and repeatedly criticized the organization for failing to fulfill its potential.

The payment was disclosed in a State Department notification sent to Congress on 4 August, a document that had not previously been reported. The funds are expected to be transferred ahead of Donald Trump’s planned address to the annual UN General Assembly in New York next month.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned earlier this year that the organization faced “imminent financial collapse” because member states have failed to pay their contributions. In response to the financial strain, the UN has implemented substantial reductions to its budgets.

The $725 million transfer represents less than one-fifth of the more than $4 billion the UN said the United States owed as of May. Washington, however, disputes that figure, maintaining that its outstanding balance is considerably smaller and pointing to payments it has already made.

Eugene Chen, a former UN official, said the proposed payment could provide temporary relief by helping cover staff salaries, although it may not be enough to meet all of the organization’s needs. “It keeps the ship afloat a little longer,” he said.

Chen also warned that the United States could face the loss of its voting rights if additional payments are not made. “If the US does not make further payments, it will likely lose its voting rights in January,” he added.

Article 19 of the UN Charter provides that a member state can lose its voting rights in the General Assembly when its unpaid assessments reach an amount equivalent to two years of contributions. The rules allow for possible exceptions or grace periods under certain circumstances.

Ronny Patz, a UN finance specialist at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability, said a substantial payment at this point could prevent the organization from having to impose additional immediate spending reductions.

“If they pay a big chunk, the UN ‌still runs on zero reserves but it gets through the year,” Patz added. “If they don’t pay, the UN might really be in trouble for the last two or three months of the year in terms of paying salaries and keeping the doors open.”

The United States remains the largest contributor to the UN’s overall budget. Under the Trump administration, however, Washington has declined to make required payments toward the organization’s regular and peacekeeping budgets while also cutting voluntary contributions supporting other UN programs.

The administration has also pulled the United States out of dozens of United Nations bodies and other international organizations, further reshaping Washington’s relationship with the multilateral system.