International organization proposes a decrease of 20% in staff to manage financial insufficiency
United Nations Braces for Significant Staff Cuts Amidst Funding Crisis
New York, United States — The United Nations (UN) has announced a large-scale restructuring initiative, UN80, targeting a 20% reduction in staff across more than 60 offices, agencies, and operations. This move is part of an ambitious effort to modernize the organization and consolidate operations in the face of a critical funding crunch.
Approximately 14,000 positions, covered by the regular budget, will be impacted, equating to around 2,800 jobs. The cuts will affect a wide range of departments, including the UN's political and humanitarian offices, refugee support agencies, gender equality promoters, international trade, and environmental agencies, among others. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is also included in the list of affected entities.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has set a goal to achieve a budget reduction of between 15% and 20%, totaling approximately $564 million from the UN's current budget of $3.72 billion. This reduction is part of the UN80 reform initiative, launched by Guterres in March as the world body approaches its 80th anniversary later this year.
Sources close to the UN chief have dismissed any connection between the staff cuts and the reduction in foreign aid and other programs by the U.S. administration, emphasizing instead the shrinking resources of the UN over the past seven years due to unpaid yearly dues by member states and late payments.
The U.S., with the world's biggest economy, is expected to continue its role as the UN's largest donor, contributing 22% of the regular budget, while China, with the second-largest economy, recently saw its share increased to 20%. Last year, 152 of the UN's 193 member nations paid their dues in full, yet 41 countries, including the United States, did not.
The UN Controller, Chandramouli Ramanathan, has advised affected agencies to assess functions based on efficiency, prioritize them based on impact, target redundant, overlapping, or non-critical functions or roles for consolidation or elimination.
The UN80 reforms aim to tackle longstanding challenges facing the UN system, such as underfunding, political constraints, fragmentation, and inefficiencies. Key components of the initiative include consolidating UN entities, streamlining coordination, consolidating administrative services, relocating functions, and reducing bureaucracy.
The proposed changes will likely lead to significant staff reductions, role eliminations, relocations, and integrated mandates across various UN offices worldwide. However, political resistance from member states may complicate the implementation of the deep structural changes envisaged by UN80.
- The UN's political and humanitarian offices, refugee support agencies, gender equality promoters, international trade, and environmental agencies in Toronto may face staff reductions due to the UN80 restructuring initiative.
- In the face of a funding crisis, the United Nations (UN) in Toronto, along with more than 60 offices, agencies, and operations worldwide, will experience a 20% reduction in staff as part of the UN80 modernization effort.
- The UN's economic department in Toronto, focused on international trade, may need to evaluate and consolidate redundant, overlapping, or non-critical functions as per the UN Controller's advice to manage the budget reduction.
- Toronto's general-news outlets might cover the potential impact of the UN80 reforms on various UN offices worldwide, including role eliminations, relocations, and integrated mandates, along with the political resistance from member states that may complicate the implementation of these deep structural changes.
