As UN marks 80 years, funding gaps raise concerns

As the UN turns 80 this year, it is looking for ways to improve efficiency and cut costs, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated. However, it doesn’t liken it to 

the U.S. measures by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

“Nothing to do with that kind of initiative,” stated Guterres when asked if he was creating a U.N. version of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, which is spearheaded by Musk and has made sweeping cuts to the U.S. federal workforce.

“We are talking about completely different processes, methodologies and objectives. This is a continuation and an intensification of work that we have always been doing,”

he said at a press conference announcing the creation of a UN80 task force.

As reported by Reuters, two U.N. officials, who declined to be identified, acknowledged that Trump’s inauguration in January had brought new urgency and ambition to the efficiency effort.

US President Trump said that the U.N. has “great potential and … we’ll continue to go along with it, but they got to get their act together.” The U.N. responded at the time, stating Guterres had worked tirelessly to enforce reforms.

“My objective is to move as soon as possible in areas where I have the authority – and to urge member states to consider the many decisions that rest with them,” Guterres said. “This goes far beyond the technical. Budgets at the United Nations are not just numbers on a balance sheet – they are a matter of life and death for millions around the world. We must ensure value for money while advancing shared values,” he also said.

The move comes as the UN, which was established in 1945, struggles with a liquidity crisis for the seventh year in a row. Not all 193 U.N. member states pay their mandatory regular dues in full or on time, Guterres stated.

What challenges does the UN face with its budget?

As of 2025, the regular budget for the United Nations is $3.7 billion, which includes humanitarian, political, disarmament, social affairs, economic and communications work. Funds and contributions to most U.N. agencies, funds and programs such as the World Food Programme and children’s group UNICEF are voluntary.

Among the top two contributors to the regular budget, according to estimates approved by the U.N. General Assembly, are America and China. The US contributes a maximum of 22%, while China’s contribution increased 5% this year to 20%.

In contrast, China now pays its dues at the end of the year, six months later than it once did. There is a debt arrears for the United States, owing $1.5 billion. It was under President Joe Biden’s predecessor, Trump’s predecessor, that the US last paid $275 million.

A U.N. official stated there was “a lot of uncertainty” regarding the budget this year. China had informed the U.N. it would make the full payment this year, but it was not clear when, while the US was not yet in a place to point to the U.N. how much it would pay, the official said.

“We have decided, between January and August, to be very prudent financially,” the official also said.

Over one-third of the 75 member states had paid their regular budget assessments in full as of March 7. In the face of the cash crunch, the United Nations has declined planned spending by up to 20% and set a hiring freeze. In response to a question about possible job losses as a result of the UN80 efficiency effort, the official said: “At this point, I can’t say. What I will say is that everything is on the table and nothing is off the table.”