United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is seeking to eliminate 20% of jobs across the U.N. Secretariat, which employs some 35,000 people, and reduce spending in the U.N.’s nearly $3.7 billion regular budget by up to 20% in 2026, according to an internal memo by the U.N. comptroller.
The proposed cuts — which could result in the loss of thousands of jobs — are part of Guterres’ reform initiative, dubbed UN80, designed to prepare the world body for a massive reduction in U.S. financial support. The United States, which contributes some 22% of the U.N. regular budget, has proposed large-scale cuts in contributions.
“The Secretary-General launched the UN80 Initiative as a blueprint to ensure the United Nations remains effective, relevant and capable of delivering for the people we serve,” the U.N. comptroller, Chandramouli Ramanathan, wrote in a May 27 letter to U.N. department heads. “It is an ambitious effort to ensure that the United Nations is fit for purpose to support twenty-first century multilateralism, reduce human suffering and build better lives and futures for all.”
About the author
Colum Lynch
Colum Lynch is an award-winning reporter and Senior Global Reporter for Devex. He covers the intersection of development, diplomacy, and humanitarian relief at the United Nations and beyond. Prior to Devex, Colum reported on foreign policy and national security for Foreign Policy Magazine and the Washington Post. Colum was awarded the 2011 National Magazine Award for digital reporting for his blog Turtle Bay. He has also won an award for groundbreaking reporting on the U.N.’s failure to protect civilians in Darfur.
