Other04 September, 20262 min read
Antonio Guterres Urges Member States To Deepen UN80 Initiative Reforms At General Assembly
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Guterres urged member states to deepen reforms under the UN80 initiative. GA backed creating a new UN learning institute by merging two training bodies.
6 outlets told this the same way.
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UN80 pushes into 81st
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on member states to deepen reform under the UN80 Initiative in the upcoming General Assembly session, urging them "not merely to maintain the momentum of UN80, but to deepen it." Guterres said the UN80 effort, launched in March 2025 as the world body marked its 80th anniversary, has moved into a third phase focused on "decisions and implementation." He framed the initiative’s purpose as handing on a United Nations "stronger than we found it: more coherent in how it works, more disciplined in how it uses its resources," and better equipped to fulfill promises.
Xinhua reported that across UN80’s three workstreams—efficiency in the UN Secretariat, mandate implementation review, and structural and programmatic re-alignments—the direction of travel is increasingly clear. The UN chief added that the true measure of UN80 will be whether, years from now, the organization works differently because of choices member states make today.
Learning institute approved
The UN General Assembly approved a resolution endorsing the integration of the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) into the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). The same resolution approved the establishment of the United Nations Institute for Capability and Learning Innovation (UNICLI) from 1 January 2027 as part of the wider UN80 Initiative. Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR, said, "Member States and the United Nations system are facing increasingly complex and interconnected challenges."
Miguel Panadero, Acting Director of UNSSC, said the new entity will be "better positioned to provide a stronger, more coherent capability development function." UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric later said the Secretary-General welcomed the decision, describing capability and development as "strategic drivers of the UN’s effectiveness and reform."
Budget, posts, and transition
The UN General Assembly approved an ordinary budget of $3.45 billion for 2026, with spending cuts, as part of UN80 reform efforts. The budget authorization, comprising 193 member states, authorizes spending $3.45 billion for the coming year to cover the three core pillars of the UN’s work: maintenance of international peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights. After negotiations concluded in the Fifth Committee, the UN financial ombudsperson Chandra Moorthy Ramanathan praised the committee for reaching a timely outcome, saying, "It has been a challenging year."
Looking ahead, the financial monitor warned that the budget marks the beginning of a strenuous implementation phase, including that as of January 1, 2026, 2,900 posts would be abolished. Ramanathan also urged continued immediate payments of assessed contributions, while the regular budget was described as separate from the UN peacekeeping operations budget, which runs from July 1 to June 30.