Translated with AI
The United Nations General Assembly approved the UN regular budget for 2026 at $3.45 billion , the organization's press service reported. The decision was made after several weeks of intensive negotiations and in the context of the implementation of one of the UN's key reforms, the UN80 initiative.
The budget, approved by all 193 Member States , covers the three pillars of the Organization's work: maintaining peace and security, promoting sustainable development and protecting human rights.
The approved budget was approximately $200 million higher than the UN Secretary-General's proposal for the UN80 reform, but approximately 7 percent lower than the 2025 budget . The UN regular budget is used to finance the organization's core activities, including political and humanitarian work, 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.
Speaking to delegates following the conclusion of the negotiations of the Fifth Committee —the General Assembly's main administrative and budgetary body—UN Auditor General Chandramouli Ramanathan emphasized the complexity of the budget negotiation and preparation process. He noted that the Secretariat was tasked with preparing all budget documentation in less than six weeks.
"This has been a challenging year," Ramanathan noted, adding that despite the difficulties, the committee managed to reach consensus and complete the deliberations on time. "This is truly remarkable, and you shouldn't underestimate it," he told the delegates.
The Comptroller General also emphasized that the budget's adoption marks the beginning of a complex phase of implementation , not its completion. As of January 1, 2026, 2,900 positions are planned to be eliminated, with over a thousand employee layoffs already formally processed. This process will require careful administrative work to ensure payment of salaries and benefits to affected staff during the transition period.
Ramanathan also noted the record level of potential advance payments by Member States towards the 2026 budget and called for continued timely payment of assessed contributions.
The adoption of the 2026 budget marks an important step in the implementation of the UN80 reforms, which aim to improve the Organization's efficiency and streamline its financial and human resources structure.
