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U.N. reviewing secretariat staffing under ‘UN80’ initiative; memo asks offices to submit proposals by June 13
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Summary
U.N. officials confirmed a comptroller memo linked to the UN80 initiative asking offices to propose structural and efficiency measures affecting roughly 14,000 regular budget posts; possible staffing reductions widely reported were described as part of an ongoing internal review.
U.N. officials confirmed that a memo from the comptroller is part of the secretariat’s UN80 initiative and requests proposals for efficiencies and structural changes covering roughly 14,000 posts under the regular budget.
"The memo was sent to all heads of offices and part of the secretariat," the U.N. spokesperson said, describing the UN80 initiative as having three tracks: identifying efficiencies under the secretary-general’s authority, reviewing mandate implementation from member states, and conducting a strategic review of deeper structural changes.
Press accounts have reported that the secretariat wants to cut about 20% of the regular budget and reduce staffing by some 6,900 posts. The spokesperson confirmed the memo covers about 14,000 posts that fall under the regular budget but did not provide a final number of proposed cuts, noting the effort is ongoing and that proposals are to be collected and reviewed.
Journalists asked whether proposals and plans would be clarified after the comptroller’s June 13 deadline for submissions; the U.N. spokesperson said the proposals will go to the comptroller and the secretary-general and that member states will be updated afterward.
The U.N. described the exercise as both an internal efficiency review under the secretary-general’s authority and a broader program and mandate review that will be reported to member states once the offices have provided their proposals and the secretariat has had an opportunity to review them.
