Hall of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The UN Office in Geneva introduces austerity regime UN
In 2023, the UN ended the year with its lowest collections in five years and is forced to cut corners to keep the organization running. This was stated by Kira Kruglikova, Director of the Administrative Division of the UN Office in Geneva, speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
Only 142 member states have paid their dues in full, she said, meaning the world body faces an extremely difficult financial situation in 2024. In response to the liquidity crisis, the UN cut non-salary costs in Geneva by 42 percent to save more than $15 million.
From April 22, as Kruglikova noted, measures will be introduced aimed at increasing operational efficiency and reducing costs. These include temporary and permanent relocations to more efficiently manage office space and provide shorter operating hours. The UN Office at Geneva, despite these challenges, is committed to fulfilling its mandates, in particular in the area of providing essential conferencing services.
The Committee on Contributions website contains a so-called “Roll of Honour”, which indicates which Member States have paid their dues in full. Cost-cutting measures are likely to be reviewed in June.
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