UN to cut 15% of 2026 budget as US funding gap widens
The United Nations will slash its 2026 regular budget by 15%, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced Tuesday, citing deepening financial strains worsened by US President Donald Trump’s funding policies. The revised proposal sets the budget at $3.238 billion, down from $3.7 billion in 2025, and includes the elimination of 2,681 jobs. Cuts will affect the UN’s work on peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development, though programs targeting least-developed nations will be spared. “For some colleagues, these changes may mean relocation for themselves and their families. For others, separation from service,” Guterres told staff in a letter. At least 200 staff in Geneva and New York would be moved to lower-cost cities like Nairobi, officials said. The UN has faced chronic liquidity crises due to late or missing member contributions. The United States, historically funding 22% of the UN’s core […]