• The UN is considering a substantial overhaul to merge its major departments.
• This review emerges amid financial strain caused by cuts in US foreign aid.
• Proposals include consolidating agency functions into four primary departments.
• UN faces an ongoing liquidity crisis, with significant arrears from member states.
• Concerns about overlapping mandates and inefficiencies are highlighted in an internal memo.

The United Nations is contemplating a significant overhaul that would merge major departments and redistribute resources globally, according to an internal memo prepared by senior officials focused on reforming the organization. The document reveals options to consolidate numerous U.N. agencies into four essential departments: peace and security, humanitarian affairs, sustainable development, and human rights, amid the challenge of U.S. foreign aid cuts under President Donald Trump, which have severely impacted humanitarian agencies, according to Reuters, TRT World, and The Jakarta Post.

The six-page memo, classified as "strictly confidential," lists various proposals that could lead to the most extensive reforms seen in decades. Among the changes discussed is the merging of operational components from agencies like the World Food Programme, UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the U.N. refugee agency into a singular humanitarian entity. This encompasses significant downsizing and the streamlining of processes to make the organization more cost-effective, as the U.N. faces escalating financial challenges, particularly a liquidity crisis that has persisted for several years, according to Reuters and The Jakarta Post.

One proposal suggests merging the U.N. AIDS agency with the WHO and minimizing the necessity for multiple translators at meetings. Furthermore, the memo alludes to relocating some staff to lower-cost cities and the potential merging of operations outside the primary U.S. and European hubs, as current financial strains have led to announcements of staff cuts across various U.N. offices, impacting over 6,000 jobs due to shrinking budgets, according to reports from TRT World and The Jakarta Post.

The task force's memo characterizes the UN as facing "systemic challenges," exacerbated by a series of redundant structures and overlapping roles that undermine efficiency. It notes that increased mandates without clear exit strategies have induced significant operational complexities, as the governing bodies continue to add missions that the existing budget cannot sustain effectively, according to Reuters and TRT World.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has been a long-time advocate for reform, emphasizing that the organization must adapt to remain relevant in today's geopolitical context. According to Guterres, the organization can no longer function effectively amid the current financial landscape, wherein U.S. arrears in payments have reached approximately $1.5 billion for the regular budget alongside $1.2 billion for peacekeeping operations, impacting the overall functionality of U.N. operations, as noted by The Jakarta Post and Reuters.