United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has proposed a $3.3 billion programme budget for 2027, representing a $40.8 million reduction from the approved 2026 budget.
Presenting the proposal to the General Assembly’s Fifth Committee on Tuesday, Guterres said the UN faced growing challenges, including conflicts, humanitarian crises, climate change and deepening geopolitical divisions.
He said the UN80 Initiative, launched to improve the organisation’s efficiency and effectiveness, had moved from proposals to implementation. Achievements include reducing the number of underrepresented member states from 28 to 26, achieving gender parity among internationally recruited staff, consolidating payroll operations and cutting 3,116 regular budget posts.
For 2027, Guterres proposed relocating additional posts across 12 entities, with Nairobi expected to receive the largest share. Other measures include abolishing some senior positions, downgrading 14 high-level posts and expanding shared administrative platforms to Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna and Addis Ababa.
He said the proposed budget would incorporate standard-cost adjustments from the outset, eliminating the need for separate recosting later in the year.
However, Guterres warned that efficiency measures alone could not resolve the UN’s financial challenges, urging member states to pay their assessed contributions fully and on time.
He stressed that predictable funding was essential for the organisation to implement mandates approved by member states.
