United Nation :The begins 2026 with a $3.45 billion budget decrease and 19% employment losses
United Nations: Due to a serious financial crisis, the global organization begins 2026 with a reduced budget of $3.45 billion and plans to lay off 19% of its workforce.
The budget approved by the General Assembly is more than the $3.238 billion that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had requested, but it generally matches his plan.
The budget for this year is around $270 million, which is 7.25% less than the $3.72 billion budgeted for 2025.
Only the primary UN activities are covered by this budget; the funds for peacekeeping and other UN agencies, such as the World Health Organization and UNESCO, are allocated separately.
According to a complicated calculation based on population, gross national income, and other considerations, India’s portion of the regular budget is 1.016 percent.
Assistant Secretary-General Chandramouli Ramanathan told the Assembly’s Fifth Committee, which oversees the budget, earlier that 2,900 posts would be eliminated as starting Friday as part of the budget cuts, and that around 1,000 workers have consented to depart.
Ramanathan, the senior financial officer at the United Nations, said, “That is something remarkable that you should not underestimate.” The budget process included difficult talks among 193 member nations.
The UN reports that as of December 1, there were $1.586 billion in arrears, which included $709 million for 2024 and $877 million for 2025.
Ramanathan urged member nations to submit their 2026 dues as soon as feasible as a result.
A Russian amendment about provisions for investigations into human rights violations in Syria and a Cuban amendment about the Secretary-General’s adviser on the right or duty of nations to protect citizens against serious atrocities were defeated before the Assembly unanimously adopted the budget.
Regarding both amendments, India abstained.
The United States is the largest donor to the United Nations, accounting for 22% of the budget, with China coming in second with 20%.
Despite congressional approval, the United States, led by President Donald Trump, a fierce opponent of the United Nations, has withheld its 2025 payment to the organization, resulting in a severe financial crisis.
Trump has suggested reducing US contributions to the normal budget for the next year by $610 million, which may have an impact on the sustainability of the approved budget.