UN General Assembly Approves $3.45 Billion Regular Budget for 2026

The United Nations General Assembly has approved a $3.45 billion regular budget for the organisation’s operations in 2026, following weeks of intensive negotiations under the UN80 reform initiative.

The 193-member Assembly authorised a total of $3,450,426,300 for the 2026 financial year, covering the UN’s three core pillars: peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights. The approved budget closely aligns with the Secretary-General’s proposal, which includes a 15 per cent reduction in financial resources and nearly a 19 per cent cut in staffing levels.

The regular budget funds the UN’s core activities, including political affairs, international justice and law, regional development cooperation, human rights, humanitarian affairs, and public information. It is separate from the UN peacekeeping budget, which follows a July-to-June fiscal cycle, while the regular budget runs on a calendar-year basis.

UN Controller Chandramouli Ramanathan commended the Fifth Committee, the Assembly’s main administrative and budgetary body, for successfully concluding a complex and compressed budget process within six weeks. He noted that hundreds of tables were produced and thousands of questions addressed from oversight bodies and member states.

Ramanathan stressed that the adoption of the budget marks the beginning of implementation, not its conclusion. From January 1, 2026, about 2,900 positions will be abolished, while at least 1,000 staff separations have already been completed. He emphasised careful management to ensure affected personnel continue to receive salaries and entitlements during the transition.

He also welcomed what he described as a record level of potential advance payments by member states for the 2026 budget and called for continued timely payment of assessed contributions.