By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Jul 25 2025 – The growing opposition to the UN80 restructuring plan -– which has come under heavy fire from staff unions – has now reached the upper echelons of the world body.
A motion, adopted at an Extraordinary General Assembly meeting, held July 24, by the Staff Union Council in Geneva (UNOG), reads “The staff have no confidence in UN80, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Under Secretary General Guy Ryder” (who is heading the UN restructuring process).
The meeting was attended by nearly 600 staff members (the quorum being 200), who expressed their concerns over the UN80 initiative. The motion was adopted without opposition.
Asked for his comments, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told IPS: “We remain committed, as we have been from the beginning of the UN80 Initiative, to consultation with staff representatives and engagement with them through the procedures in place for this purpose”.
“We hope that staff representatives will approach the issues before us in a similar spirit”.
Undoubtedly, he pointed out “we have difficult decisions ahead of us”.
“Management and staff need to work together to mitigate the negative impact of those decisions on our colleagues and to navigate the current challenges in the interests of assuring a stronger and more effective UN,” said Haq.
UN Under-Secretary-General Guy Ryder and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
According to a memo to staffers from Laura Johnson, Executive Secretary and Ian Richards, President of the Staff Union in Geneva, the support for the motion was based on:
The lack of vision around UN 80 which has been done in a panic and with no evaluation of earlier reforms.
The decision to present budget proposals for 2026 with 20 percent fewer posts, without any evidence that this will address the current crisis, even as other organisations approve zero-growth budgets.
The reinforcement of the UN’s existing top-heavy structure. Most cuts are taking place at junior levels, no Under-Secretaries-Generals (USGs, the third highest ranking officials in the UN hierarchy) are being cut and an instruction to cut senior positions appears to have become optional.
The decision by the Secretary-General to extend USG contracts by 2 years, in some cases beyond his mandate, and promote his own staff, while restricting normal staff to extensions of one year with the intention of denying them termination indemnities in case of separation.
The refusal to consult with staff representatives on post cuts.
The proposal to multiply headquarters locations, which in time will increase costs.
The impression that staff are taking the blame for the challenges of the organization, which may in part stem from the organization’s lack of visibility in matters of peace and security.
A new Secretary-General with their own vision may undertake further reforms that contradict UN 80.
The UNOG Staff Union plans to transmit the adopted motion, along with the reasons behind it, based on the various concerns expressed by staff, to the Secretary-General and subsequently to Member States.
The memo to UN staffers also says: “We also encourage you to express your views by completing the survey being run by our staff federation CCISUA. You have until Sunday 27 July to fill it in here. Please note that, for the question “What is your organization?” there is a single response for UN Secretariat, which is the relevant option for all staff represented by the UNOG Staff Union.”
“In addition to completing the survey, please continue to write to us directly with your concerns and ideas.
Meanwhile, under the UN80 Initiative, according to Guterres, a dedicated internal Task Force led by Under-Secretary-General Guy Ryder will develop proposals in three key areas.
These include identifying efficiencies and improvements, reviewing the implementation of mandates from Member States, and a strategic review of deeper, more structural changes and programme realignment.
These efforts go “far beyond the technical,” Guterres said. “Budgets at the United Nations are not just numbers on a balance sheet – they are a matter of life and death for millions around the world.”
The key objectives, according to the UN, include:
• Increased Efficiency and Effectiveness:
The reforms aim to streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve the UN’s ability to deliver on its mandates.
• Mandate Review:
The task force is reviewing the implementation of mandates given to the UN by member states, many of which have increased significantly in recent years.
• Structural Reforms:
The initiative explores deeper, more structural changes within the UN system, potentially including the consolidation of departments and agencies.
• Strategic Review:
A strategic review of the UN’s programs and their alignment with current needs and priorities is also underway.
IPS UN Bureau Report
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?’http’:’https’;if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+’://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js’;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, ‘script’, ‘twitter-wjs’);
