United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has presented a proposed $14 billion budget for the 2027 fiscal year to the General Assembly’s budget committee, chaired by Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim.
Presenting the proposal in New York, Guterres said the budget was designed to strengthen the United Nations’ capacity to deliver on its core mandates of international peace and security, sustainable development and human rights, while advancing reforms to improve efficiency and accountability.
Receiving the proposal, Ibrahim described the proposal as a budget for a sustainable United Nations and assured that the committee would commence deliberations and consultations on the budget.
He assured the secretary-general of the committee’s cooperation and commitment to a constructive budget review process.
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Guterres, who is presenting the proposed budget for the final time during his tenure, said the estimates reflect the organisation’s continuing reform agenda under the UN80 Initiative, which seeks to make the Secretariat more efficient, effective and responsive to emerging global challenges.
He said the proposal includes 11,150 posts and provides $423 million for the continued operation of special political missions in 2027.
According to the Secretary-General, the approach will give member states a clearer picture of the organisation’s financial requirements earlier in the budget process.
Guterres also highlighted proposed investments in sustainable development, including an additional one million dollars each for the regular programme of technical cooperation and the Development Account.
The budget further proposes $2.7 million to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Group System-wide Evaluation Office, as well as $3.7 million to advance the implementation of the organisation’s disability-inclusion strategy.
Other allocations include $1.7 million for work on mandate implementation review, $3.2 million for the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan and $2.1 million for the next-generation upgrade of Umoja, the United Nations’ enterprise resource planning system.
An additional $22 million is proposed to meet rising costs associated with after-service health insurance for retirees.
The Secretary-General said the proposals followed a review of existing resources and opportunities for savings, adding that new and expanded mandates had been considered alongside the need to maintain effective programme delivery.
On organisational reforms, Guterres outlined plans to expand common administrative platforms across Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna and Addis Ababa, relocate additional functions to lower-cost duty stations and reduce duplication across the Secretariat.
He also highlighted measures to streamline senior management structures and improve the alignment of resources with the organisation’s priorities.
Despite the proposed savings, Guterres warned that efficiency measures alone would not resolve the United Nations’ financial difficulties without predictable funding and the timely payment of assessed contributions by member states.
He urged countries to fulfil their financial obligations in full and on time, in accordance with the UN Charter, noting that liquidity challenges could undermine the effective implementation of approved mandates.
The proposed 2027 programme budget will now be subjected to consideration and deliberation by the General Assembly’s Fifth Committee, which is responsible for administrative and budgetary matters, before the Assembly takes the necessary decisions.
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