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United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres has unveiled a series of proposals aimed at strengthening the UN’s operational effectiveness and improving coordination across its three core pillars: peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights.
Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York under the UN80 Initiative, Guterres outlined a vision for a more unified and streamlined organisation.
“My vision for the United Nations system is clear: entities that work together as one, to deliver better—overcoming fragmentation, eliminating duplication, improving funding models, and maximising synergies,” he stated.
The initiative includes the creation of a dedicated UN80 implementation team to advance reforms either through intergovernmental decision-making or under the Secretary-General’s authority where feasible.
Guterres emphasised that member states will ultimately guide the initiative’s direction, reinforcing the UN’s role in a rapidly changing global landscape.
UN80 focuses on three main workstreams. Workstream 1 targets modernising business operations, including consolidating administrative platforms, relocating to lower-cost duty stations, and reducing real estate expenditures while safeguarding programme delivery.
Workstream 2 seeks to strengthen coherence and accountability throughout the lifecycle of UN mandates, with recommendations currently under review by an informal ad hoc working group co-chaired by Jamaica and New Zealand.
Workstream 3, Guterres explained, encompasses over 70 proposals aimed at consolidating peace and security teams at headquarters and in special political missions, including in Yemen, Cyprus, and Central Africa.
Potential structural reforms include merging the UN Development Programme (UNDP) with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to enhance sustainable development capacity and combining UN Women with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to create a unified voice on gender equality and women’s rights.
Guterres stressed the need for a collaborative, cost-effective approach to ensure that resources entrusted to the UN deliver maximum impact for the people it serves.
The proposals form part of a broader effort to modernise the UN, sharpen its operational impact, and reaffirm its relevance in a rapidly evolving global environment.
