The UN General Assembly approved the organizationʼs budget for 2026 at $3.45 billion. This is 7% less than in 2025, when the budget was $3.72 billion.
Bloomberg writes about this.
The budget cuts involve the elimination of 2,900 jobs. The UN explains the decision by a financial crisis caused, in particular, by the non-payment of contributions by the United States.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has previously warned that the financial situation remains precarious due to the large debts of member states. According to him, the United States has the largest debt, having not paid $826 million for 2025 and almost $660 million for previous years.
Guterres had previously proposed even tougher measures — cutting the budget by $577 million and reducing staff by almost 18%. However, the approved budget turned out to be about $200 million more than his proposal.
Due to a lack of funds, the UN is already cutting back on basic necessities. In particular, the organizationʼs headquarters in New York has stopped using paper towels in the toilets.
The United States typically funds about 22 percent of the UNʼs regular budget. At the same time, the administration of President Donald Trump has criticized the organization for excessive spending and said it needs to cut red tape. Despite this, Washington has pledged $2 billion for UN humanitarian programs.
Financial difficulties have affected not only the central apparatus. UN agencies, including UNICEF and UNESCO, are also facing a funding shortage, and are also preparing for large-scale cuts.
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