Financial crisis at the UN: Guterres prepares job cuts and a sweeping reform

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced on Thursday that he wants to reduce the number of senior positions within the United Nations as part of a broad reform plan aimed at reducing the organization's operating costs.

Speaking to the General Assembly in New York, Antonio Guterres explained that the UN needed to continue its transformation in order to become more efficient and less costly, as the institution faces a financial crisis linked in particular to payment delays from several member states, including the United States, the main contributor.

The UN chief indicated that reductions and eliminations of senior management positions were being considered over the next two years. These measures are part of the reform program dubbed "UN80," launched to modernize an organization that some consider too cumbersome and bureaucratic.

Antonio Guterres highlighted several changes already underway, including a budget cut for 2026 and the transfer of more than 2,000 jobs out of expensive cities like Geneva and New York to cheaper administrative centers.

The Secretary-General, whose ten-year term as head of the UN is due to end at the end of 2026, nevertheless believed that additional efforts were needed to ensure the financial viability of the organization.

"Genuine reform requires difficult choices. This is not the time for complacency, self-interest, or dragging our feet," he told member states.

Antonio Guterres also called on governments to actively support these changes, stressing that member states hold the key to the reforms ahead. Discussions on UN funding and restructuring are expected to continue in the coming months, as the organization faces increasing budgetary constraints and a growing number of international crises.