UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the General Assembly that the UN80 reform initiative, launched less than 18 months ago, has progressed from diagnosing problems to designing and implementing solutions. Changes are occurring at different speeds, he said, with some now underway within his authority and others awaiting Assembly decisions or further analysis.
The first set of changes involves how the organization uses resources and manages operations. The Secretariat plans a 21 percent reduction in posts by 2026, relocating functions to lower-cost locations and consolidating administrative services. A common administrative platform in New York already serves approximately 6,000 personnel, while payroll functions have been consolidated into a single global team.
Technology and data infrastructure are part of the same transformation. The Technology Accelerator Platform aims to replace fragmented systems with common approaches, while a UN System Data Commons is bringing statistics from more than 25 UN entities into a single platform set to launch in the coming weeks. The organization projects potential efficiencies of 20 to 80 percent in various back-office services.
A second focus involves managing mandates. A mandate registry compiled over 40,000 resolutions and decisions dating back to 1946, linked to programmes, budget references and reports. New guidance for Secretary-General reports will make them shorter and more evidence-based; initial changes could reduce reporting by approximately 700,000 words this year, Guterres said.
The UN is also establishing a network to assist member states in the resolution process and developing digital tools for delegates, including a mobile application for navigating meetings, documents and contacts. Work underway in an Ad Hoc Working Group is developing criteria for reviewing mandates under General Assembly resolution 80/251.
The third dimension of reform addresses how the UN system organizes itself to deliver assistance. Guterres did not detail this component in his prepared remarks to the Assembly.
