Regular budget reduced to $11.6 billion; peacekeeping support trimmed 15% but aid for refugees and technical cooperation preserved.
Secretariat trims regular and peacekeeping accounts while maintaining support for UNHCR, UNRWA, and development in fragile states.
The United Nations Secretariat has released revised estimates for its 2026 program budget and the 2025/26 Support Account for peacekeeping, projecting significant reductions while safeguarding funding for priority programs.
The regular budget, including Special Political Missions, is set at $11.6 billion, down 13.5 percent from the $14.3 billion approved for 2025. The Support Account, which funds headquarters-based departments backing peacekeeping missions, will be reduced by 15.1 percent to $3.2 billion.
According to the Secretariat, the cuts are focused on large departments and support functions, while allocations for vulnerable and least developed countries are maintained. Funding for UNHCR, UNRWA, the Peacebuilding Fund, and the Resident Coordinator system will remain unchanged.
Resources for technical cooperation will increase to $52.7 million in 2026, continuing steady growth since 2019. Regional development programs through the Economic Commissions will see only limited reductions, offset by additional support from DESA and UNCTAD.
The revised plan includes 262 staff relocations, mostly from New York and Geneva, as part of efforts to streamline operations. One-time costs for relocations and separations are not included in appropriations but may be absorbed within the overall budget.
Entity-level cuts range between 0 and 20 percent, with thematic clusters reduced between 11.8 percent for development and 19.6 percent for support services.
The Secretariat said the proposals aim to balance fiscal discipline with sustained support for developing and conflict-affected countries, reaffirming its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
About The Author
