UN Reform at a Crossroads
Peščanik 03.05.2025 | Dmitry Pozhidaev
Merge, Shrink, or Rebuild – A crisis response or a structural reboot? The recent Reuters report titled “Exclusive: UN eyes big overhaul amid funding crisis, internal memo shows” reveals that the United Nations is contemplating significant structural reforms in response to a severe financial crisis.
An internal memo suggests consolidating various UN agencies into four primary departments: peace and security, humanitarian affairs, sustainable development, and human rights. This could involve merging operational functions of major bodies like the World Food Programme, UNICEF, WHO, and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) into a single humanitarian entity, as well as integrating UNAIDS into the WHO. The memo also proposes relocating staff from high-cost cities and
