UN headquarters in New York. Secretary-General proposes cutting UN budget by 15 percent UN
The United Nations will be on the road to bankruptcy unless Member States begin paying their dues on time and in full. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned about this on Friday, presenting the UN budget for 2026 in the amount of $3.238 billion – 15.1 percent less than the approved estimate for 2025 (3.72 billion).
Speaking to the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, which deals with financial and administrative issues, Guterres described the situation as extremely fragile: high debt, delays in contributions and the need to “repay loans” threaten to undermine liquidity and core operations Organizations.
Staff Reductions
The revised budget also includes a reduction in headcount compared to the original proposal for 2026: from 13,809 rates to 11,594 rates. This is an 18.8 percent reduction from 2025.
The cuts will primarily affect major UN departments and administrative structures, while maintaining programs that directly serve Member States, especially least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, small island states, and initiatives to support African development.
The UN also has a separate budget for peacekeeping operations.
Liquidity Crisis
Secretary-General warned that the consequences of the current liquidity crisis will be felt not only next year, but also in 2027.
Arrears in contributions at the end of last year reached $760 million. In addition, the UN must return $300 million in loans to member states in early 2026.
“Any delays in fundraising early in the year will force us to cut spending further… and may result in the need to return $600 million in 2027, about 20 percent of the budget,” he said Guterres.
“This means a path to bankruptcy,” he added, reiterating the urgent need to reduce debt and suspend loan repayments.
Earlier measures to curb spending provided only temporary relief, the UN chief said. At the beginning of 2025, the UN budget deficit stood at $135 million. And by the end of September, the Organization had received only 66.2 percent of annual contributions, down from 78.1 percent for the same period in 2024.
As of the end of September, only 136 of 193 Member States had paid their dues in full. Among the countries that have not yet paid in full are the United States, China, Russia and Mexico.
How much do permanent members pay Security Council
According to the current scale adopted in December 2024 for 2025–2027 years, the contributions of the United States of America amount to 22,000 percent of the total budget, China – 20,004 percent, Great Britain – 3,991 percent, France – 3,858 percent, Russian Federation – 2,094 percent.
These countries are permanent members of the UN Security Council and have the right veto.
Reflects financial realities
The revised 2026 budget reflects both current financial realities and reforms as part of the UN 80 initiative aimed at comprehensive reform of the Organization.
Measures proposed to improve its effectiveness include the relocation of offices to regions with lower staffing costs, as well as the creation of common administrative platforms in New York and Bangkok.
Despite the cuts, key priorities remain: 37 special political missions will continue to operate, the UN Peacebuilding Fund will receive $50 million, the UN Resident Coordinator System will receive $53 million, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) will expand regional offices in Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Beirut, Dakar, Panama City, Pretoria and Vienna.
What next?
In the coming weeks, the Fifth Committee will discuss the proposed budget with the heads of departments of the UN Secretariat and program managers.
The committee will then present its report with recommendations to the plenary meeting of the General Assembly, and final approval of the UN budget is expected by the end of December.