A News Agency

According to internal UN audit correspondence, Guterres aims to eliminate 20% of the approximately 35,000 jobs in the UN Secretariat and cut spending from the UN’s regular $3.7 billion budget by up to 20% in 2026.

The proposed cuts, which could lead to thousands of job losses, are part of a reform initiative called UN80, designed to prepare the organization for a major reduction in U.S. financial support. The U.S. covers about 22% of the regular UN budget and has proposed large-scale funding cuts.

UN Treasurer Chandramouli Ramanathan wrote in a letter to department heads on May 27: “The Secretary-General launched the UN80 Initiative as a plan to ensure the UN remains effective, relevant, and capable of delivering services to the people we serve.”

“This is an ambitious effort to ensure the UN is fit for 21st-century multilateralism, to reduce suffering, and to build better lives and futures for all.”