The United Nations proposed substantial cuts to its regular budget for 2026, the UN's spokesperson said Monday, including a plan to reduce the Secretariat's regular-budget posts to 11,594.

Spokesperson Stefan told reporters that the secretary-general formally introduced revised estimates for the 2026 program budget and the support account for peacekeeping operations. "Overall, the regular budget the secretary-general is proposing to bring the resources requirements for 2026 down to $3.2138 billion," Stefan said, a reduction of roughly $577 million, or about 15.1%, compared with the 2025 appropriation.

The proposal also revises the staffing table to 11,594 posts "including special political missions," Stefan said, and he added the cuts affect departments across the Secretariat. "The cuts have impacted every department," he said, noting, by way of example, that the spokesperson's office lost two posts.

Stefan said the published figures reflect the regular budget only and do not include extra-budgetary posts funded by voluntary contributions. He directed detailed follow-up queries about voluntary-funded positions and related calculations to UN offices that manage extrabudgetary resources.

The secretary-general has framed the reductions as part of efficiencies and cost reductions linked to internal reform work streams while seeking to protect critical program delivery; the spokesperson cited targeted efficiencies and measures from the UN's first UNAD initiative work stream.

Next steps include further review by the General Assembly's Fifth Committee, which considers budgetary and administrative matters. Stefan offered to provide additional detail offline to reporters seeking breakdowns of buyouts and voluntary departures under the changes.

The briefing did not specify how many extra-budgetary posts exist across the wider UN system or the total number of staff funded outside the regular budget; Stefan said those figures would be supplied by the relevant UN service departments on request.