Overview
- Secretary‑General António Guterres warns of a “race to bankruptcy” and unveils a $3.238 billion UN budget for 2026, about 15% below 2025.
- Reporting cites U.S. withdrawals from the Human Rights Council and UNESCO and an estimated 80% cut in contributions to UN programmes, coupled with repeated Gaza vetoes and sharp criticism of multilateralism by President Donald Trump.
- Great‑power vetoes have left the Security Council largely unable to act on Ukraine and Gaza, eroding the body’s credibility as an arbiter of legitimate force.
- The UN80 initiative seeks to streamline mandates, rethink financing and governance, and reset humanitarian coordination, though meaningful structural reform remains politically stalled.
- Officials and commentators argue the 1945‑era design needs overhaul even as 193 member states continue to use the UN for dialogue and global agreements such as the UDHR, SDGs and the Paris climate deal.