UN chief revises down 2026 regular budget to 3.238 bln USD

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday proposed to bring the United Nation's 2026 regular budget down to 3.238 billion U.S. dollars, a reduction of 577 million dollars, or 15.1 percent, compared with the 2025 appropriation.

The proposed staffing table is revised to 11,594 posts, including Special Political Missions, a reduction of 18.8 percent, compared with the approved staffing table for 2025, the UN chief said while formally introducing the revised estimates report relating to the proposed program budget for 2026 and the support account for peacekeeping operations for the 2025/26 period to the Fifth Committee of the UN General Assembly.

For the Special Political Missions, the revised proposed budget amounts to 543.6 million dollars, reflecting a reduction of 96.3 million dollars or 15 percent compared with the initial proposed program budget for 2026, and a reduction of 149.5 million dollars or 21.6 percent compared with the appropriation for 2025. The revised estimates include a proposed net decrease of 1,215 posts and positions from 4,086 approved for 2025, he said.

"For the first time, the revised estimates reduce global regular budget resource requirements compared to what was originally proposed, and reductions for the support account for a period already approved by the Assembly," which reflects both the urgency and ambition of the reforms the United Nations is undertaking, while also emphasizing a particular sense of responsibility to the most vulnerable in need of UN support, said Guterres.

For the support account for the period January to June 2026, the revised estimates amount to 188.9 million dollars, representing a decrease of 11.2 percent, he said.

Guterres said the targeted reductions being proposed reflect hard choices taken across entities to streamline structures, eliminate duplication, and prioritize resources for greatest impact.

According to him, the United Nations ended 2024 with 760 million dollars in arrears, of which 709 million dollars is still outstanding from 2024. With 2025 coming to an end, the United Nations has not received 877 million dollars of this year's dues and so, its arrears now amount to 1.586 billion dollars.

"I have repeatedly appealed to Member States to pay their assessed contributions in full and on time," he said. ■