The revised proposal marks a significant drop from his original ask for next year of $3.715 billion and is 15.1 per cent below the 2025 approved appropriation.
Speaking to the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly – which handles UN finances and administration – Mr. Guterres described a deeply precarious outlook, with high arrears, delayed contributions and the “return of credits” threatening to wipe out liquidity and undermine core operations.
The revised budget also reduces staffing from the original 2026 proposal funding 13,809 posts (10,667 regular posts plus 3,142 Special Political Mission posts) to 11,594 posts – an 18.8 per cent cut compared with 2025.
These reductions target larger departments and administrative functions, while protecting programmes that directly serve Member States – particularly Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, small island developing States, and advocacy for Africa’s development.
The regular budget, funded through mandatory assessed contributions from Member States, covers the core programmes and operations of the UN Secretariat. Läs pressmeddelande