This is unheard of since its creation in 1945: the United Nations, whose general assembly is held until September 28, announces a drastic austerity plan. The UN affected financially and its general secretary, António Guterres, decided to tighten the screw next year.
In detail, the annual organization of the organization falls by 15%, to 527 million by 2026. With the direct consequence, the abolition of 2,700 positions, almost 20% of the workforce. António Guterres also plans to relocate offices and posts from New York and Geneva to cheaper cities, such as Nairobi. Office closures and the consolidation of certain services are also being studied.
The United States has not been paying since Trump’s return
This austerity treatment never seen since 1945 is explained by several factors. The UN is going through a liquidity crisis. By 2025, I needed $ 3.5 billion. But in mid -May, only 1.8 billion had reached their boxes. And beyond 2025, it is the payment arrears that accumulate … at the end of April, the UN had 2,400 million arrears.
The UN is in trouble because its main taxpayers do not pay their part. At the head, the United States, the first taxpayers with 22% of the budget, have not paid a penny since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, or 1.5 billion deficit. China, second taxpayer, pays in the dropper. She paid only 597 million at the end of last December.
Result, for the maintenance of peace, which is one of the three UN missions, the hole now reaches 2.7 billion.
As a result, humanitarian aid is sacrificed. The Global Humanitarian Aid Plan goes from $ 44 to 29 billion for next year. Instead of 180 million rescued people, only 114 million can be. In Afghanistan, 400 care centers have closed, in Bangladesh, the fight against tuberculosis stops … The global food program sees its financing by 40%.
The multilateralism crisis
This financial debacle reveals the current geopolitical fracture. If we look at the United States, Donald Trump is guided by his “first America.” He negotiates brutally and in “one by one.” We are far from the UN essence, which is supposed to be a forum of universal commitments.
For its part, China practices entry when paying accusagotas and imposing its conditions. In 2024, he only made a quarter of the questions to the candidates for the NGOs for funds and only retained the files that fixed it. China blocks many files with the “political breach” pretext. As for Russia, it is still the master of UN obstruction.
Either China, India, Russia, all these countries have been advocating a multipolar world for several years. But in reality, they build their own spheres of influence and their own regional “empires.” The UN is supposed to symbolize this multilateralism, sails against the tide in an era in which everyone tries to draw coverage towards themselves. And loses forms when the world brutalized. 30 years ago there were 30 armed conflicts worldwide, today there are 120.
Source: BFM TV
