UN Plans Major Overhaul Amid Budget Crisis, U.S. Aid Cuts

The United Nations is considering a sweeping restructuring to address chronic inefficiencies and a major funding crisis, largely triggered by steep U.S. foreign aid cuts under President Donald Trump. According to a confidential memo, the proposed changes would consolidate dozens of agencies into four main departments—peace and security, humanitarian affairs, sustainable development, and human rights—potentially representing the most significant reforms in decades. Suggestions include merging the World Food Programme, UNICEF, WHO, and the UN refugee agency into a single humanitarian body and incorporating UNAIDS into WHO, while also recommending staff relocations from high-cost cities. The memo highlights systemic problems such as overlapping mandates, bloated management, and mission creep without clear exit strategies. Financial pressures are causing projected budget and job cuts across several agencies, prompting urgent calls for modernization and streamlined operations. While some diplomats support these bold reforms, others express concern about preserving the unique mandates of individual agencies.