United Nations Directs Departments to Reduce Budgets Through Staff Relocations Away from New York.

The United Nations (UN) is preparing for potential budget cuts by the U.S. under President Trump’s administration. In a memo dated April 25, Secretary General António Guterres has instructed departments to come up with plans for cost-cutting measures, including relocating staff from New York and Geneva to cheaper cities. The memo aims to identify functions that can be moved to lower-cost locations or reduced if they are duplicative or no longer viable. The UN is taking these measures to brace for future cuts and to insulate itself from financial impact. The budget cuts are partly in response to President Trump’s previous actions, including withdrawing the U.S. from several UN organizations and reducing U.S. contributions to peacekeeping efforts. The UN is also facing financial problems due to the withdrawal of contributions by major donors and a cash-flow crisis caused by member states not paying their annual dues on time and in full.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/world/un-budget-cuts-trump.html