U.N. Orders Agencies to Find Budget Cuts, Including via Staff Moves From N.Y.

The United Nations, anticipating that President Trump will raise the contributions of the United States to the global body, told their departments that they prepare plans for budget cuts, even through the relocations of New York personnel and gin to less expensive cities.

The instructions that accumulate in a two -page memorandum dated April 25 that was reviewed by the New York Times was sent from the office of Secretary General António Guterres to the bosses of all the agencies that directly inform him. The note established a deadline of May 15 for all proposals so that they could be added to the 2026 budget.

“Its objective is to identify as many functions as possible that they can be relocated to existing locations of lower cost,” says the memorandum, “or reduced or abolished if they are duplicated or not viable.”

In February, President Trump signed an executive order that requested a review of the general funds of the United States and ties with the UN, withdrew the United States from several UN organizations, including those that deal with human rights, the reproductive weight of women. Climate change In his first mandate, he also reduced US contributions to peace maintenance efforts.

Three high UN officials said Tuesday that drastic and cost reduction measures established in the memo had captured the agency’s departments by surprise and went beyond what they expected. The officials, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the directive was largely considered as a way for the UN to prepare for possible additional cuts by Mr. Trump and that proactively isolates the financial coup.

But UN officials said the budget cuts were ordered only in response to Trump’s movements. The directive occurs when the UN is adjusted to a series of financial problems, they said, from the withdrawal and reduction of the financial contributions of the main donors such as the United States and Europe to a cash flow crisis captivated by the Member States that do not pay their annual. Do not pay your annual.

Mr. Guerres announced on March 12 that he was launching an initiative called UN80 named for the 80th anniversary of organizations to create profitable measures and improve efficiency throughout the organization.

“These are times of intense uncertainty and unpredictability,” Guerres said at that time. “Resources are being reduced in all areas, and have one leg for a long time.”

Hey also said that a reduction in the financing of the United States and other countries “naturally led to the need for agencies that provide these services to reduce staff, reduce their dimension and eliminate many activities.”

Stéphane Dujarric, UN spokesman, said the April 25 memorandum had resulted from the UNA80 initiative.

Richard Gowan, the UN director for the International Crisis Group, said that while the UN portrayed movements as an internal review, in reality, they had resulted from the pressure and anxiety about the Trump administration.

“The American cuts, the rank of the cuts and the scale of the cuts have really shocked the UN,” Gowan said in an interview. “So Guterres is now running frankly to catch up with a very bad situation.”

The United States is the largest taxpayer to the UN, which represents almost 25 percent of its general budget, which in 2024 amounted to around $ 3.6 billion and was allocated to the administrative and maintenance of peace. The United States is also an important donor of several UN agencies for humanitarian aid work; In 2022, the United States contributed around $ 18 billion to the UN in all areas.

Great Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden have also announced deep cuts in international aid, even the UN, to focus on domestic needs and defense priorities. China, an important taxpayer to the UN, has traditionally intensified funds to programs that are aligned with their own interests, such as the maintenance of peace.

Now, the UN estimates that it would face a budget reduction of 20 percent by 2026 as a result of fund cuts, according to Mr. Gowan, which would amount to billions of dollars in losses.

Some agencies, including UNICEF and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that the separate cost reduction reviews of the Guterres Directive had already begun.

A senior UNICEF official said that the agency was anticipated at least one decrease in the 20 percent budget by 2026. UNICEF is also retaining a considerable part of its staff to Valencia, Spain, from New York, said the senior official. The objective, he added, was to ensure that any budget deficit has the least possible effect on the programs that serve children.

UNICEF is financed through donations from Member States, the private sector and individuals. He does not receive money from the UN General Budget.

Even before the memorandum was sent, Guterres said last month that the UN Population Fund, which focuses on the health and reproductive rights of women, would transfer its entire operation to Nairobi, Kenya, from New York.

Tom Fletcher, the UN humanitarian chief, also announced to the staff this month that the agency was reducing its operations in several countries; maintaining a freezing of hiring and travel restrictions; and reduce staff by 20 percent.