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December 1, 2025 UN

The UN Secretary-General warned on Monday that chronic delays in Member States' contributions to the Organization's budget, totaling nearly $1.6 billion, are undermining the UN's ability to function effectively – even despite deep cuts already built into next year's budget plan.

Speaking at a meeting of the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, which deals with the budget of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres said the UN is facing its most precarious financial situation in years.

"Liquidity remains fragile and this problem will persist regardless of the final budget amount," the UN chief stressed, pointing to the "unsustainable level of debt" of member states.

Unpaid fees

The UN ended 2024 with $760 million in unpaid contributions, most of which remains outstanding, and has yet to receive $877 million in contributions due for 2025. This brings the total outstanding amount to approximately $1.586 billion.

With less than five weeks left in the year, only 145 of the 193 UN member states have paid their dues in full for 2025. Several key contributors, including the United States, have yet to make their payments, while China paid the full amount on October 29. Russia is also among those still outstanding. "I have repeatedly called on Member States to pay their dues in full and on time," the Secretary-General said.

The cuts are already included in the budget.

The UN chief's warning comes amid discussions of revised estimates for the UN's regular budget for 2026, which already reflect deep structural cuts as part of the UN80 reform, an initiative aimed at improving efficiency and reducing costs.

According to the revised proposal, the UN regular budget for 2026 will be $3.238 billion, a decrease of $577 million (15.1 percent) from the 2025 level. A total of 2,681 posts are planned to be reduced, representing 18.8 percent of the current level.

Special political missions will also face a reduction of more than 21 percent compared to 2025 levels, primarily due to mission closures and staff streamlining.

Consolidation of functions and transfer of workstations

To save money, the UN plans to consolidate payroll processing into a single global system and establish common administrative centers in New York and Bangkok.

The Secretariat is also reviewing a list of functions that could be relocated to lower-cost regions. Since 2017, terminating leases in New York has already saved the UN $126 million, with an additional $24.5 million per year expected by 2028.

Reaction of delegations

The revised estimates have been reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions and are under discussion in the Fifth Committee ahead of final budget approval by the end of the year.

Advisory Committee Chair Juliana Gaspar-Ruas noted that the committee welcomed the reforms, but cautioned that the revised estimates were prepared under a tight timeframe, which limited the opportunity to carefully assess the justification for some of the cuts.

Member States supported the Secretary-General's efforts to present revised estimates, acknowledged liquidity challenges, and expressed support for a stronger and more flexible UN. However, several delegations expressed concern about the tight deadlines and late submission of key documents, which hinders thorough review.

Some diplomats warned that the proposed cuts would hit junior and support staff harder than senior positions, threatening geographic balance and staff turnover.

Others noted that the cuts appeared uneven across the UN's main areas of work, with the largest cuts occurring in development programmes.

The Secretary-General acknowledged this concern, assuring: “Our commitment to development is absolutely fundamental, as is our commitment to the African continent.”

The UN budget must be finally approved by the General Assembly before the end of this year.

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.

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December 1, 2025 UN

The top news of the day at the UN and around the world: the Secretary-General proposed a revised UN budget, efforts to support the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo, preparations for cold weather in Gaza, a record number of victims from mines and explosive remnants of war.

Revised UN budget

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presented today to the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly revised budget of the Organization for 2026, as well as a new peacekeeping budget. The Secretary-General proposes reducing regular budget revenue to $3.238 billion. This is $577 million, or 15.1 percent, below the 2025 level. Special political missions will face budget cuts of more than 21 percent, primarily due to the closure of several missions and the streamlining of staffing. In total, according to the proposal, 2,681 positions—approximately 18.8 percent—will be eliminated.

The situation in the DR Congo

The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) supported the screening of approximately 9,500 candidates seeking to join the country's army in Haut-Lomami province. This resulted in the identification and exclusion of 25 underage boys. These measures were implemented as part of the Action Plan signed in 2012 by the DRC government and the UN to end child recruitment. Furthermore, the country's Ministry of Health declared the end of the Ebola outbreak in Kasai province today. The World Health Organization and partners provided technical and financial support to the government to stop transmission of the disease.

Help for the residents of Gaza

Humanitarian organizations in Gaza are stepping up their winter preparation efforts. Speaking to reporters in New York on Monday, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the situation in the enclave remains extremely difficultDisplaced people continue to suffer from cold weather and heavy rains, with flooding remaining a serious threat. Humanitarian agencies distributed over 8,800 blankets and over 300 tents in November, and additional supplies were delivered to the enclave this week.

Anti-personnel mines

The number of civilian deaths and injuries from mines and explosive remnants of war rose to the highest level over the past four years, according to a report presented Monday in Geneva with the support of the UN Institute for Disarmament Research. In 2024, 6,279 casualties from this type of weapon were recorded worldwide. Children in countries engulfed in armed conflict are particularly vulnerable. The report's authors warn that the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention is experiencing its most serious crisis in decades.

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December 1, 2025 Humanitarian aid

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, despite ongoing aid operations across the Strip.

Last Sunday, the UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Ramiz Alakbarov, concluded a four-day visit to Gaza, where he met with UN colleagues, visited humanitarian project sites, and spoke with people struggling to survive in dire conditions as winter approaches.

Alakbarov stressed the importance of unimpeded access to the sector for humanitarian cargo and the need for UN non-governmental organization partners to be able to provide assistance to those in need throughout Gaza.

Healthcare

UN partners responsible for providing medical care to Gaza residents continue to restore services across the Strip: 234 medical facilities are now operational, compared to 197 before the ceasefire. However, shortages of critical medical supplies remain in the enclave.

Housing and education

Shelter needs in Gaza remain dire, with approximately 1.5 million people in need of urgent assistance. Last week, humanitarian workers distributed tents, tarpaulins, bedding, kitchen sets, and winter clothing vouchers to approximately 4,300 families.

Eighteen of the 31 temporary learning spaces in the sector have reopened, allowing approximately eight thousand children to resume education.

A record 160 heavy-duty tents for schools were delivered to Gaza over the weekend, but stationery and other teaching materials remain in short supply.

Since the ceasefire, 123,000 families in Gaza have received cash assistance, exceeding the 120,000 target set for the 60-day plan.

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.

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December 1, 2025 Peace and security

The number of civilian deaths and injuries from mines and explosive remnants of war has risen to its highest level in four years, according to a Landmine Monitor report presented in Geneva on Monday.

In 2024, 6,279 casualties from this type of weapon were recorded worldwide. Children in countries affected by armed conflict are particularly vulnerable.

"In 2024, 90 percent of casualties were civilians," noted Lauren Percy, the report's lead analyst. "Almost half of all casualties were children… In Afghanistan, 77 percent—more than three-quarters—were children, and that's appalling."

The presentation of the report in Geneva was organized by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines with the support of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research.

The Convention is under threat

The report's authors warn that the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention is facing its most serious crisis in decades.

"Several countries are taking steps that genuinely threaten the viability of the convention," said disarmament expert Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan.

Five European countries – Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland – are preparing to legally withdraw from the convention, citing changed security conditions following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukrainian territory in 2022.

Ukraine, according to Moser-Puangsuwan, claims it can "suspend" certain convention obligations during the war. The report's authors consider such a move legally untenable. The report also cites indications of Ukraine's use of mines in 2024–2025, when explosive devices were allegedly dropped by drones.

Expanding pollution

Anti-personnel mines remain a serious problem in at least 57 countries and territories, including 32 states parties to the treaty. Seven countries remain heavily contaminated with remnants of war: Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Turkey, and Ukraine.

On a positive note, Oman completed demining in 2025, becoming the first state party to do so since 2020. More than half of the countries have reduced contamination through site surveys and cleanup.

"Despite progress, the goal of completing mine clearance by 2025 remains elusive. Now, 2030 becomes a potential finish line," said senior researcher and report co-author Catherine Atkins.

Funding crisis

Lack of funding is already undermining mine action programs around the world.

"In 2025, the US froze funding for the sector," recalled analyst Ruth Bottomley. "This move halted some programs and completely closed others, demonstrating the vulnerability of a system dependent on a few large donors."

Mine clearance projects in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Colombia, Tajikistan, and Zimbabwe have already been closed. Victim assistance programs have also suffered: international support in this sector has been cut by 23 percent, and the healthcare systems of Ukraine and Palestine are struggling to cope with the rising number of amputations.

Experts warn that without restored funding, increased political will, and adherence to previous commitments, contamination of territories with hazardous remnants of war will grow faster than humanitarian organizations can respond.

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December 1, 2025 Healthcare

A new report from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) shows how cuts in international funding are destroying support systems for people living with HIV worldwide. This is particularly acute in Tajikistan.

Takhmina Khaidarova's story is in many ways illustrative in this context. She contracted HIV from her husband, a migrant worker working in Russia. After his death, Takhmina was disowned by her own family.

"Before that, I didn't even know HIV existed in Tajikistan," she admits. Today, thanks to the Tajik Network of Women Living with HIV, Tahmina helps others cope with the isolation she experienced. However, such examples may soon become rare.

Recent freezes and cuts in international aid threaten to shut down programs run by community organizations. The Spin-Plus Foundation, which works with at-risk individuals and people who inject drugs, is already feeling the effects. "People who need ongoing support—social, human, and advisory—are being left without it," says the foundation's director, Pulod Jamolov. Staff cuts and branch closures have become a reality.

Tajikistan, despite economic growth in recent years, is the poorest country in the region: a third of its GDP comes from remittances from migrant workers. Approximately 60 percent of the national HIV response plan is funded by international donors. Until January 2025, 20 percent of these funds came from the US-based PEPFAR initiative.

Social and structural barriers in Tajikistan exacerbate the situation: a weak healthcare system, restrictive laws, gender inequality, and long-entrenched norms fuel stigma and discrimination. Nearly 97 percent of women living with HIV conceal their status even from family members, and 64 percent face discrimination, including from healthcare workers.

Authorities estimate that a 10–20 percent reduction in HIV funding in Tajikistan could lead to a 135 percent increase in new infections and a five percent increase in mortality, erasing years of progress.

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December 1, 2025 Peace and security

The 22nd meeting of the States Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, or Ottawa Convention, opens in Geneva this week. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on states party to the treaty to reaffirm their commitment to a world free of these deadly weapons.

The meeting is taking place against the backdrop of serious challenges to the Ottawa Convention, a key international instrument for humanitarian disarmament. A number of recent events—including the withdrawal of individual countries from the treaty and declarations of suspension of obligations (which are not provided for in the document)—underscore the need to renew commitments and reaffirm the treaty's fundamental principles.

In a video message to the meeting participants, the Secretary-General expressed deep concern about the erosion of humanitarian norms aimed at protecting civilians from indiscriminate weapons. He called for both increased membership of the Convention and increased commitment among existing signatories.

The danger of anti-personnel mines remains

"Anti-personnel mines are among the most brutal and indiscriminate weapons. They continue to kill and maim people long after conflicts have ended. Four out of every five victims are civilians, often children," the UN chief noted.

Those injured by mines face long-term health consequences, as well as social isolation and financial hardship due to loss of ability to work. Contamination by these munitions hinders the delivery of humanitarian aid, as well as recovery and economic development efforts.

The need for a new impetus

Over the quarter-century of the Convention's operation, the number of casualties has dropped significantly, millions of stockpiled mines have been destroyed, vast areas have been cleared, and a number of countries have declared themselves "mine-free." Today, 166 states—more than three-quarters of the UN's members—are parties to the treaty. The recent accession of the Marshall Islands and Tonga confirms the relevance of the Convention's goals.

Through his campaign on humanitarian disarmament and mine action, led by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs and the UN Mine Action Service, with the support of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action, the Secretary-General calls for urgent strengthening of international humanitarian law, the development of partnerships in this area, and ensuring that the commitments made by States bring real benefits to people.

The Twenty-Second Meeting of the Parties to the Convention provides an opportunity to reaffirm its goals and give new impetus to efforts to end the use of anti-personnel mines worldwide.

“We must reaffirm our commitment to protecting human lives, upholding international law, and restoring hope to communities still living with the threat of mines,” the UN Secretary-General stressed.

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November 29, 2025 Peace and security

Last night, Kyiv and the surrounding areas were subjected to a massive attack. Civilians were killed and more than a dozen were injured, including a child.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also reports that homes and public infrastructure have been damaged in many areas.

There is no electricity in some areas of Kyiv and the Kyiv region. Several other areas are experiencing problems with the water supply.

"Emergency services responded to multiple fires and damage to buildings across the city," OCHA said in a statement on Platform X.

Humanitarian organizations are providing medical assistance, essential supplies, and emergency repair materials to affected families.

“Civilians and civilian infrastructure are not targets,” OCHA emphasizes.

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.