More than 60 United Nations offices, agencies and operations have been ordered to submit proposals by mid-June to cut 20% of their staff.
Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, attends a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in the chancellory in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
UNITED NATIONS () — More than 60 United Nations offices, agencies and operations have been ordered to submit proposals by mid-June to cut 20% of their staff, as part of a major reform effort to consolidate operations in the face of a critical funding crunch.
The cuts affect about 14,000 posts covered by the regular budget, or about 2,800 posts, U.N.
These include staff in the U.N.'s political and humanitarian offices, and its agencies helping refugees, promoting gender equality and dealing with international trade, the environment and cities.
Agency supporting Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, is also on the list.
Controller Chandramouli Ramanathan said in a memo to the affected agencies that the staff cuts are part of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ goal of achieving a reduction of between 15% and 20% in the U.N.’s current budget of $3.72 billion.
The cuts are part of the UN80 reform initiative launched by Guterres in March as the world body approaches its 80th anniversary later this year.
Chief has dismissed any relationship with the cuts to foreign aid and other programs by U.S.
Resources over at least the past seven years as not all member states pay their yearly dues and many don’t pay on time.
The U.S., with the world’s biggest economy, is expected to pay 22% of the regular budget, while China, with the second-largest economy, recently had its share raised to 20%.
Last year, 152 of the U.N.’s 193 member nations paid their dues in full, including China, but 41 countries did not, including the United States.
4, Trump ordered a review within 180 days of U.S.
The international significance depends on official statements, diplomatic follow-up and any humanitarian, trade, security or travel implications that emerge after the first report.
For India-facing readers, the immediate relevance is whether the development affects diplomacy, citizens abroad, international law, trade routes, humanitarian operations or multilateral negotiations.
The source page records the update at 30 May 2025, 09:37 PM, and the story should be followed for any later corrections or clarifications.
