UN Plans Cuts As Trump Suspends U.S. Funding
The United Nations is preparing to slash over $700 million in spending and cut 3,000 jobs amid the suspension of U.S. financial support by the Trump administration.
The restructuring plan is part of what Guterres has dubbed “UN 80,” a long-term effort to streamline the organization’s operations in light of reduced funding. While officially tied to the anniversary, UN officials acknowledged the urgency imposed by Trump’s funding freeze. U.S. contributions, historically crucial to the organization’s financial health, have been halted as part of the Trump administration’s broader shift away from multilateralism.
Deputy State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott stated that the U.S. would not support institutions that work against American interests. Trump’s team has already withdrawn from the Human Rights Council and UNESCO and ended funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
The new budget, due in September, is expected to include extensive program overhauls across affiliated agencies such as UNICEF and UNESCO, which are facing similar financial pressures.
Internal Backlash And Debate Over UN’s Role
The reform plan has triggered backlash within the organization. UN staff in Geneva passed a symbolic motion of no confidence in Guterres, criticizing the cuts as lacking direction and strategy. Ian Richards, president of the UN Staff Union in Geneva, described the approach as “slash and burn,” warning it could further bloat the UN’s top-heavy bureaucracy.
Criticism has also come from U.S. analysts. Brett Schaefer of the American Enterprise Institute argued that while some UN programs like the nuclear watchdog and the World Food Programme support U.S. interests, others—such as the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Human Rights Council—should be eliminated rather than reformed.
Despite internal and external resistance, experts suggest Guterres’s plan may offer a framework for long-term adaptation to diminished U.S. support. Eugene Chen of New York University’s Center on International Cooperation noted that the crisis could accelerate long-needed structural reforms, positioning the UN for a leaner operational model in the future.