The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)has approved a $3.45 billion regular budget for the organisation’s 2026 financial year, following weeks of negotiations under the UN80 reform initiative.
The budget, endorsed by the 193-member Assembly on Tuesday, allocates $3,450,426,300 to support the UN’s core pillars—peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights.
It reflects a 15 per cent reduction in financial resources proposed by the Secretary-General, alongside a nearly 19 per cent cut in staffing.
The regular budget funds key UN activities, including political affairs, international justice, development cooperation, human rights, humanitarian work and public information. It is separate from the peacekeeping budget, which operates on a July-to-June fiscal cycle.
UN Controller Chandramouli Ramanathan praised the Assembly’s Fifth Committee for concluding a complex and compressed budget process, noting that about 2,900 positions will be abolished from January 2026, with over 1,000 staff separations already finalised.
He also welcomed strong indications of advance payments by Member States and urged continued prompt settlement of assessed contributions.
