UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 31– The UN General Assembly on Tuesday adopted the UN programme budget for 2026, totalling 3.45 billion U.S. dollars. The budget largely reflects UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ proposed 15 percent reduction in financial resources and a nearly 19 percent cut in staffing.
Earlier in the day, the budget was adopted by the General Assembly’s Fifth Committee with responsibilities for administrative and budgetary matters.
Negotiations on the 2026 programme budget highlighted both the ongoing financial constraints and the broader UN80 initiative, which aims to improve efficiency, reduce duplication and better align resources with mandates.
Member states debated sharply over the size and scope of the budget, including proposed reductions in staff posts, funding for special political missions, and resource allocations for new reform priorities.
Discussions were further complicated by concerns over cash-flow challenges, delayed or incomplete contributions from member states, and the need to balance fiscal discipline with the operational requirements of the organization.
A total of 2,900 positions will be abolished as of Wednesday, according to Chandramouli Ramanathan, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Programme Planning, Finance and Budget and Controller.
The United Nations ended 2024 with arrears totaling 760 million dollars. As of Dec. 1, 2025, 709 million dollars from 2024 remained unpaid, while an additional 877 million dollars in dues for 2025 had yet to be received, bringing total arrears to 1.586 billion dollars. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
