Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
December 31, 2025 UN
After weeks of intensive negotiations and the launch of one of the most important reforms – the UN-80 initiative – the General Assembly approved the UN regular budget for 2026 in the amount of $3.45 billion.
The budget, approved by the UN's 193 member states on Tuesday, covers three key areas of the Organization's work: peace and security, sustainable development and human rights.
While the approved budget is approximately $200 million higher than the Secretary-General's proposed UN80 reform, it is approximately seven percent below the 2025 budget.
The UN budget finances the Organization's core activities, including its political and humanitarian aspects, international justice and law, regional development cooperation, human rights, and public information.
The regular budget is separate from the UN peacekeeping budget, which operates on a financial cycle from 1 July to 30 June, while the regular budget follows the calendar year.
A difficult consensus
Addressing delegates at the conclusion of the negotiations of the Fifth Committee, the Assembly's main administrative and budgetary body, UN Comptroller General Chandramouli Ramanathan commended the Committee for having managed to bring the complex and arduous budget process to a timely conclusion.
"It's been a testing year," he said, noting that the Secretariat was tasked with preparing the entire budget in less than six weeks.
Ramanathan emphasized that, despite the often difficult negotiations, the Committee had managed to reach consensus. "This is truly remarkable, and you shouldn't underestimate it," he said, addressing delegates.
Upcoming tasks
The Comptroller General warned that the adoption of the budget marks the beginning, not the end, of a difficult phase of its implementation.
As of January 1, 2026, he noted, 2,900 positions will be eliminated. More than a thousand employee layoffs have already been officially processed. This requires careful consideration and significant administrative effort, as it is necessary to ensure the payment of salaries and benefits to affected personnel during the transition period.
Chandramouli Ramanathan also welcomed the "record level of potential advance payments by Member States" towards the 2026 budget and called for continued timely payment of assessed contributions.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.