The United Nations is preparing to reduce senior leadership positions over the next two years as part of Secretary-General António Guterres’ wider UN80 reform agenda aimed at streamlining the organisation and reducing costs.
Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday (28 May), Guterres said reforms were necessary to modernise the 80-year-old institution amid ongoing financial pressures linked partly to unpaid member state contributions, including from the United States.
Key developments include:
- The UN’s 2026 budget has already been reduced under current reforms.
- More than 2,000 UN jobs have been relocated from Geneva and New York to lower-cost hubs.
- Further reductions in hierarchical structures and senior-level posts are planned from 2027 onwards.
- Member states are being urged to support agency mergers and structural reforms.
Guterres said “bureaucratic inertia and defensiveness” continued to slow parts of the reform process. Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi voiced support for improving efficiency and streamlining overlapping UN bodies.
ℹ️ Reuters
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