UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (Photo: Reuters/Pierre Albouy)

The memo noted that the cuts are part of a review launched by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in March dubbed “UN80” “to achieve a meaningful reduction (between 15% and 20%) of the regular budget for 2026, including a reduction of 20% of posts, for the UN Secretariat.”

The directive, which asks staff to detail cuts by June 13 for “redundant, overlapping or non-critical functions,” comes amid a financial crisis triggered in part by the United States, which annually funds nearly a quarter of the world body.

If approved by the General Assembly, the staff cuts would go into effect on January 1 next year for those posts already vacant, and later for those occupied, in accordance with UN regulations.

“The liquidity crisis is caused by one simple fact: the arrears. We won’t solve the liquidity crisis by reforming the organisation. We solve it by countries paying their contributions in full and on time,” Guterres said.

Several UN agencies have already been hit hard by deep cuts in US foreign aid, which contributes some 25% of the UN regular budget.