The United Nations is looking to cut its budget and eliminate nearly 7,000 jobs, an internal memo obtained by Reuters found.
The directive from the U.N. Secretariat asked staff to detail cuts by June 13 as it prepares to slash its $3.7 billion budget by 20%.
The international agency is experiencing financial concerns, sparked partially by the United States. The U.S. annually funds nearly a quarter of the U.N.’s budget, but under President Donald Trump’s cuts to foreign aid and without the money owed by the U.S., the U.N. is struggling financially, Reuters reported.
Trump signed an executive order in February that suspended funding to some U.N. programs, noting the international body has “drifted” from its mission to prevent global conflicts and promote peace and security around the world. The administration has withdrawn millions of dollars, forcing humanitarian programs to be halted in an effort to reduce spending internationally.
U.N. Controller Chandramouli Ramanathan, who wrote the memo viewed by Reuters, did not explicitly cite the United States’ failure to pay its $1.5 billion to the agency but instead said it was part of an organization-wide review called UN80.
UN80 was launched in March and intends to help the body examine if its processes are effective and can navigate for the next 80 years.
“It is an ambitious effort to ensure that the United Nations is fit for purpose to support 21st-century multilateralism, reduce human suffering and build better lives and futures for all,” Ramanathan said in the memo, per Reuters. “I count on your cooperation for this collective effort whose aggressive timelines are recognized.”
While staff are directed to detail cuts in just a few weeks, cuts would officially begin to take effect Jan. 1, 2026.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said that the budget changes were because it was a time of “intense uncertainty and unpredictability.”
“Resources are shrinking across the board — and they have been for a long time,” he said.