The UN80 initiative is the United Nations' ambitious, system-wide reform effort, launched by Secretary-General António Guterres in March 2025 as the UN marks its 80th anniversary.
In resolution 79/318, adopted on 18 July 2025, the General Assembly welcomed the Secretary-General’s efforts and looked forward to receiving relevant proposals.
It responds to a vital question »»
How can the UN adapt to become more agile, integrated, and equipped to respond to today’s complex global challenges amid tightening resources?
UN80 builds on previous reforms — including the UN development system repositioning, the peace and security reform, the management reform and — but takes them further. It aims to make the United Nations more responsive and resilient; better equipped to serve the people whose lives depend on it; more accountable to taxpayers who underwrite its work; and more supportive of staff in their critical roles.
It's about doing more, more effectively, and with fewer bureaucratic burdens — ensuring the UN system is better aligned to meet rising global needs with unity, agility, and purpose.
The Secretary-General appointed a dedicated UN80 task force to elaborate reform proposals across the following three key areas:
1. Efficiencies and improvements
Work is underway to identify efficiencies in the management and operations of the United Nations Secretariat, and the System as a whole. Initial proposals under this workstream for the Secretariat are reflected in the revised estimates for the programme budget for 2026, and are now under consideration by Member States. The measures include consolidating administrative platforms in New York and Bangkok; unifying payroll under a global team across three locations; and relocating some functions from higher-cost to lower-cost duty stations. More system-wide measures will be introduced later.
2. Mandate implementation review
A comprehensive review of some 4,000 resolutions and other mandate source documents has been conducted to streamline delivery, reduce duplication and enhance impact.
On 31 July 2025, the Secretary-General presented to Member States a report on how UN mandates are created, delivered and reviewed, offering proposals to strengthen each function.
In , the General Assembly established an informal ad hoc working group open to all Member States and observers, to consider in its scope the proposals contained in the report and to identify principles and follow-up actions in order to improve the creation, delivery and review of mandates.
3. Potential structural changes and programme realignments
Potential structural changes to the architecture of the UN System and realignment of programmes across entities are being explored to ensure optimal coherence, resource use and impact.
On 18 September 2025, the Secretary-General released an initial report on structural reform and programme realignments, outlining proposals for paradigm shifts in how the United Nations is structured, how its entities collaborate and how it operates. Member States will ultimately decide how to take these proposals forward.
What are the goals of the initiative?
To create a UN that is:
- More efficient and cost-effective
- More responsive to crises and countries’ needs
- More effective in delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals
- More accountable to taxpayers and the people it serves
- More supportive of UN staff and their mission-critical work
The Initiative aims to use our finite resources as effectively as possible, and with fewer bureaucratic burdens.
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