UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday acknowledged that overhauling the global organization will involve “painful” steps, including staff cuts, to enhance efficiency and confront deepening financial difficulties worsened by past US administration policies.
In March, Guterres launched the UN80 initiative, aimed at simplifying the organization’s structure and improving its effectiveness.
“Our shared goal has always been to make our organization more efficient, to simplify procedures, eliminate overlaps, and enhance transparency and accountability,” Guterres stated while updating member states on the reform agenda.
He stressed that while the UN’s liquidity crisis is not new, the current financial and political pressures make the need for reform even more urgent.
He cautioned that “we know that some of these changes will be painful for our UN family.”
One key proposal is the merging of units from the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) with the Department of Peace Operations (DPO), a move Guterres said could cut 20 percent of posts in those departments — a benchmark that could guide broader reforms under the UN80 initiative.
He also suggested that relocating staff from high-cost hubs like New York and Geneva to more affordable locations may be necessary.
Member states will ultimately need to decide which specific changes to adopt.
Guterres further criticized the current internal workload, saying the UN system has been stretched “beyond reason,” with an overemphasis on producing reports and holding meetings.
“It is as if we have allowed the formalism and quantity of reports and meetings to become ends in themselves. The measure of success is not the volume of reports we generate or the number of meetings we convene,” he said.
Urging nations to take decisive action, Guterres warned, “Many of you have agreed that this must be the moment to be bold and ambitious. That is what our organization needs—and that is what our times demand.”
He added, “Make no mistake—uncomfortable and difficult decisions lie ahead. It may be easier—and even tempting—to ignore them or kick the can down the road. But that road is a dead end.”
An internal memo reviewed by AFP revealed that the UN80 working group has floated significant reforms, including consolidating various UN agencies. While Guterres did not detail those proposals, he hinted that clusters focused on similar areas would be suggesting reforms that may lead to structural shifts.
What you should know
Antonio Guterres is pushing for a major overhaul of the United Nations under the UN80 initiative to combat its financial crisis and bureaucratic inefficiencies. His plan includes staff reductions, departmental mergers, and possible relocation of roles. While the changes may be painful, Guterres insists they are necessary for the UN to stay effective and relevant in today’s global climate.
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