Antonio Guterres, whose 10-year term as UN chief ends at the end of 2026, called for decisive reforms and cost-cutting amid a financial crisis caused in part by unpaid fees, including those from top donor the United States, Reuters writes.
He hailed significant progress on the so-called “UN80” reforms so far, citing budget cuts for 2026 and the transfer of more than 2,000 jobs from expensive cities like Geneva and New York to cheaper hubs.
Still, further action is needed, he told the General Assembly in New York, adding that member states hold the key.
“True reform requires difficult decisions. This is not the time for complacency, selfish interests or procrastination,” he said.
Next year’s budget will include moves to cut hierarchies and start a process of job cuts at senior levels that will continue in 2028, Guterres said, without giving details. Transfers to cheaper centers will continue, he added.
The UN’s cost-saving plans for 2026 have brought far smaller cuts to senior staff than to lower-ranking ones, according to budget documents, despite the growing number of senior posts in recent decades. Many of these places are unofficially reserved for the great powers who jealously guard them as sources of prestige and influence.
Guterres urged countries to implement more ambitious reforms, saying “bureaucratic inertia and defensiveness” were holding back some changes, such as merging or closing UN agencies.
“At this stage, the overall direction and scope of the UN80 is in the hands of member states to determine,” he said.
The United States, which owes the organization about $4 billion and has announced plans to withdraw from many UN bodies, has repeatedly called for a more effective United Nations focused on peace and security.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
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