UN plans to cut staff by 20% due to financial crisis

The UN has instructed its offices and agencies to prepare proposals for a 20% reduction in staff. This decision was taken in connection with the acute financial crisis, informs Associated Press.
More than 60 UN departments, including humanitarian and political bodies, as well as agencies working in the areas of refugee support, gender equality, international trade, the environment and urban development, are due to submit their proposals for staff reductions.
The planned layoffs are part of broader reforms initiated by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He intends to reduce the total budget of the organization by 15-20%, which is about 3.72 billion dollars. UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric explained to journalists that it is about 14,000 positions financed from the regular budget, or about 2,800 standard staff units.
Reduction proposals must be submitted by June 13. According to Dujarric, these proposals will be taken into account in the draft budget for 2026, which should be presented to the General Assembly in December 2025.
The World Food Program is expected to cut up to 30% of its staff. The UN refugee agency plans to reduce the staff in the central office and regions by 30%, as well as cut half of the management positions. Other organizations, including UNICEF and the UN Office for Humanitarian Aid, are also bracing for cuts.