Secretary-General's remarks to the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly on the Proposed Programme Budget for 2026
Statements | António Guterres, Secretary-General
Thank you for the opportunity to introduce the proposed programme budget for 2026.
I present it in the truly unique context of the UN80 Initiative – driven by a strong sense of urgency and our clear ambition to make the Secretariat more effective, agile, resilient and cost-efficient.
The proposed programme budget for 2026 comprises three parts.
Part I, the plan outline, comes before you only once every three years.
Part II covers the programme plan for 2026 and programme performance information for 2024.
And Part III addresses the resource requirements for the programmes and subprogrammes.
Together, they reflect the priorities set by the General Assembly and lay the foundation for bold, efficient proposals for next year – and beyond.
We meet at a time of deepening geopolitical divides, rising inequalities, climate disruption, and rapid technological change.
You, the Membership, have equipped the Organization with new mandates and normative instruments to meet these challenges and unlock opportunities. These are reflected in, Part I, the plan outline that sets out the long-term priorities and objectives of the Organization.
It includes key actions from the Pact for the Future – from protecting civilians in armed conflicts and pursuing a future free from terrorism, to advancing nuclear disarmament.
It reflects important new instruments such as the UN Convention against Cybercrime and Resolution 79/190 on combating illicit financial flows and strengthening good practices on asset recovery.
The plan outline also prominently highlights the Effective Functioning of the Organization – renewing my commitment to improve our ability to deliver on mandates.
The proposed programme budget before you demonstrates an enhanced focus on mandate delivery.
The programme plan – Part II – outlining the programme of work of the Organization for 2026 – demonstrates our increased results-orientation.
Our results frameworks continue to improve – showing the real impact of our work on people’s lives.
Over 70 percent of planned quantitative targets now aim for a 10 per cent or greater increase in performance – a significant improvement since we implemented the budget reform.
The annual cycle has enabled us to integrate critical new mandates more quickly into our planning and to translate them into programmatic activities, deliverables and results.
The Pact for the Future, adopted last year, is already reflected throughout the proposed programme plans for next year:
Entities across the development system – from DESA to UNCTAD to the Regional Commissions – are supporting efforts to reform the international financial architecture, move beyond GDP, promote data governance, and ensure that the digital economy benefits all;
DPPA is strengthening preventive diplomacy, mediation and peacebuilding support, and deepening partnerships with regional and national actors;
Together with DPO, they are embedding the Women, Peace and Security and Youth, Peace and Security agendas across their work – ensuring that peace efforts are inclusive, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of all;
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is expanding its regional presence to deliver mandates more effectively and efficiently.
Across the Secretariat, entities are building capacity in innovation, data analytics, digital transformation, strategic foresight and behavioural science – tools essential for a more agile and responsive United Nations.
Together, these efforts reflect a United Nations that is modernizing from within — streamlining processes, harnessing technology, and optimizing resources to deliver greater results for Member States.
Madam Chair, Distinguished delegates,
Since the start of my mandate, I have pursued reforms to make our Organization more modern, effective, and cost-efficient.
These efforts continue.
My proposed programme budget for 2026 of 3.715 billion US dollars is slightly below the 2025 approved budget – excluding post re-costing and major construction projects in Nairobi and under the Strategic Heritage Plan.
This figure includes funding for 37 Special Political Missions – reflecting a net decrease due to the liquidation of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq and the planned drawdown of the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia.
The proposed budget provides for 14,275 posts – and reflects our commitment to advance the three pillars of our work – peace and security, development, and human rights – in a balanced manner.
We propose to continue supporting the Resident Coordinator System with a 53 million US dollars commitment authority for 2026 – identical to 2025.
The 50 million US dollars grant for the Peacebuilding Fund is also maintained.
The proposed increase of 2 million dollars for the Regular Programme of Technical Cooperation will mainly fund the establishment of a harmonized fellowship programme across the five regional commissions – a 60 per cent increase since 2019.
We also propose to strengthen OHCHR’s regional presence – notably in Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Beirut, Dakar, Panama City, Pretoria and Vienna – consistent with Member States’ request under the Pact for the Future.
Madam Chair,
While we strive to make our Organization more efficient and effective, reform is ultimately about people.
My budget proposal continues to advance my vision for UN 2.0 – building a forward-thinking workforce culture, empowered by cutting-edge skills.
As reflected in the Global Digital Compact, harnessing digital technology is central to this transformation.
Gender equality and geographical representation remain top priorities.
In less than two years, we have increased balanced geographical representation from 103 countries to 128.
We have maintained gender parity at senior levels and are on track for full parity across the Organization before 2028.
We will continue working towards parity at every level and entity, ensuring our workforce truly reflects the diversity of our membership.
These efforts also depend on our ability to recruit external candidates and fill vacancies – in the context of a liquidity crisis.
Madam Chair,
Following the submission of the programme plans to the Committee on Programme and Coordination and the resource requirements to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions earlier this year, the Secretariat has conducted a comprehensive review of its resource requirements for 2026.
This review forms part of our efforts to identify measurable efficiencies across the Secretariat.
Last month, I shared with Member States an advance unedited version of the revised estimates report for the proposed programme budget for 2026 and the support account for peacekeeping operations for the 2025/26 period – which is now under consideration by the ACABQ.
We will have the opportunity to engage in greater detail later in the session – but allow me to briefly outline these proposals.
The revised estimates report is a pragmatic response to evolving fiscal realities and Member States’ expectations.
It is a deliberate and considered adjustment to an already conservative proposal for 2026 – reflecting both the urgency and ambition of the reforms we are undertaking.
I am proposing to bring the resource requirements for 2026 down to 3.238 billion US dollars – a reduction of 577 million dollars, or 15.1 per cent, compared with the 2025 appropriation.
The proposed staffing table is revised to 11,594 posts – including SPMs – a reduction of 2,681 posts, or 18.8 per cent, compared with the approved staffing table for 2025.
While the proposed reductions in the revised budget for 2026 are substantial, they are carefully calibrated to maintain balance across the three pillars of our Organization.
They are targeted at larger Secretariat departments – with a focus on optimizing resources, streamlining administrative services, consolidating functions, reducing overlap, and exploring lower-cost delivery models.
Programmes and activities directly supporting Member States – particularly Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, Small Island Developing States, and advocacy for Africa’s development – are protected.
The revised estimates report also include initial proposals resulting from the first workstream of the UN 80 Initiative:
Creating Common Administrative Platforms to provide administrative services to Secretariat entities located in each duty station – starting with New York and Bangkok;
Consolidating payroll processing into a single global team across three locations;
And conducting a systematic review by entities in New York and Geneva to identify functions that could be performed effectively in lower-cost duty stations.
The revised estimates do not replace the proposed programme budget.
Rather, they introduce targeted adjustments to specific areas.
In practical terms, these affect about 15 per cent of the resource requirements – while 85 per cent of the proposed resources in the initial proposal remain indispensable.
Together, they provide the basis for our budget proposal for 2026.
Madam Chair, Excellencies,
The budget before you today – and the meaningful reductions in the revised estimates report – reaffirm our determination to become ever more efficient and cost-effective.
Looking ahead, Workstreams 2 and 3 of the UN 80 Initiative are also under way.
Any budgetary implications arising from these efforts will be assessed rigorously and reflected in future budget proposals for your consideration.
But success also depends on Member States fulfilling their commitments.
Ultimately, effective delivery in 2026 will depend on the timely and full payment of assessed contributions.
Despite earlier hopes, the downward trend of collections has continued.
The last two years have unfortunately seen a deterioration in the financial situation.
Strict spending restrictions in both 2024 and 2025 were introduced early on – and averted payment defaults.
But the Organization began 2025 with a cash deficit of 135 million dollars.
High arrears of 760 million dollars as of the end of 2024, the majority of which were not recovered – and a large chunk is very I would say unlikely to be recovered - coupled with 89 million dollars of credits to Member States as part of their 2025 assessments – mean that we will collect less than the approved budget for 2025, even if Member States pay their contributions in full this year.
In early March, we set a spending reduction target of 600 million dollars for 2025 – nearly 17 per cent of the budget.
Without these restrictions, we would have run out of cash by August, jeopardizing the High-Level Week and having dramatic consequences on salaries for our staff.
By the end of September, we had collected only 66.2 per cent of the year’s assessments – compared to 78.1% last year at this time.
Today – in the last quarter of 2025 – we still have significant uncertainty about the collections for the year.
And given the present level of uncertainty about the income, we could end 2025 with a deficit of more than 450 million dollars, even after reducing the spending by nearly 600 million dollars.
This will wipe out nearly all our liquidity reserves and leave us highly vulnerable to any delays in collections next year.
We are also required to return 300 million in credits to Member States at the beginning of 2026.
That represents nearly 10% of the budget for 2026 that we will not collect even if all Member States pay their dues in full.
More uncertainty about collections and any delays in collections early in the year will force us to reduce spending even more.
We will again spend less than the budget in 2026 because we did not collect enough.
That will probably lead to a collapse of the regular functioning of our organization.
And then potentially face the prospect of returning 600 million dollars in 2027 or about 20% of the budget.
That means a race to bankruptcy.
Unless arrears are substantially reduced or the return of credits is suspended, this will constrain the implementation of the programme budget before you.
Drastic cash conservation measures will again be inevitable next year, to avert a payment default and threaten the core of our activities – unless collections this year are sufficient to replenish the liquidity reserves.
That is why I have once again proposed that the General Assembly temporarily suspend the return of credits against the 2026 assessment creating naturally an account in which the rights of countries to receive back that money as soon as it is available will take place.
My report on Improving the Financial Situation of the United Nations – fast-tracked earlier this year for your consideration – proposes a mechanism to suspend credit returns whenever liquidity shortfalls threaten full budget implementation of the following year.
The Membership did not reach a decision, and the report was deferred to this session.
Failure to reach an agreement on addressing the deteriorating liquidity situation could jeopardize critical elements of our programme of work.
So once again, I urge Member States to consider these proposals carefully and to meet their financial obligations – in full and on time.
Madam Chair, Distinguished delegates,
In a world of shrinking resources and growing needs, our mission is more urgent and more relevant than ever.
The UN80 Initiative aims to chart a path toward a more agile, resilient, and fit-for-purpose Organization.
I welcome the opportunity to engage with you today and in the weeks ahead to advance these proposals.
My team and I stand ready to fully support your deliberations.
Thank you.
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