According to a memo seen by Reuters, the United Nations Secretariat plans to reduce its budget by 20% and eliminate about 6,900 jobs.
The United States and its funding problems are causing a financial crisis for the world body, so the Organisation is urging all member states to suggest cuts by June 13.
In addition to President Trump’s foreign aid cuts, which led to a loss of UN humanitarian support, the United States now owes about $1.5 billion.
The memo’s author, U.N. Controller Chandramouli Ramanathan, did not cite the U.S. failure to pay. He noted that the cuts are part of a review launched in March dubbed “UN80.”
“It is an ambitious effort to ensure that the United Nations is fit for purpose to support 21st-century multilateralism, reduce human suffering and build better lives and futures for all,” Ramanathan said. “I count on your cooperation for this collective effort whose aggressive timelines are recognized.”
At public briefings with U.N. diplomats this month, the Secretary-General announced he is planning a major organisational change that would combine departments and redistribute resources worldwide. He added that the U.N. could combine some agencies, reduce the size of others, deploy staff to places with lower costs, get rid of unnecessary overlap, and end unneeded administrative work.
“These are times of peril, but they are also times of profound opportunity and obligation,” Guterres said on May 12.
Furthermore, the Trump administration has withheld hundreds of millions of dollars from discretionary funds, which has made it necessary to stop dozens of U.N. humanitarian programmes that aid officials say will cost lives. The U.S. proposed budget for the coming year is slightly different from the one projected a year ago and eliminates or greatly reduces funding for many U.N. programmes such as peacekeeping.
During an April meeting, Tom Fletcher from the United Nations reported that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs must employ 20% fewer staff to cope with the loss of $58 million in U.S. funds.
Richard Gowan, who leads the UN section at the International Crisis Group, said it is uncertain if the planned cuts will impact the Trump administration’s stance on UN issues.
“Diplomats think that Guterres hopes that if he shows he will make these cuts, then the administration will ease off on their threats to zero out funding for the UN,” Gowan said.
