Informal meeting of the plenary to hear a briefing by the Secretary-General on the UN80 Initiative - General Assembly, 79th session

Ladies and gentlemen. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to start.

I call to order the informal meeting of the Plenary to hear a briefing by the Secretary general on the UN 80 initiative.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining today's briefing on the UN 80 initiative.

I thank the Secretary General for graciously joining us today.

Dear colleagues, it is fair to say that this is a time of change and uncertainty.

It is our responsibility to shape our collective future.

Such moments inevitably lead to anxiety and concern, and this is understandable.

Yet they are also opportunities for renewal.

They are also an opportunity to rebuild.

The. The challenges that come along with all these opportunities must always be accepted. And each challenge can come with opportunities.

This must be one of such moments.

There have been such moments before, and we have always come as stronger. This time, we will also come out stronger.

As we move to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the United nations, we have the chance to reflect on the past 80 years of remarkable work. Bravo.

But we also have the chance now to reaffirm the values and principles.

That. Gave rise to the United nations as enshrined in the Charter, and to look to the next 80 years and beyond.

In many ways, the Pact for the Future, which this General assembly adopted in September, has positioned us in the right direction.

The Pact emphasizes that the United nations system must be fit for the future, effective and capable.

Our collective future is in our hands.

The Secretary General's UN80 initiative, announced on 11 March in his letter to Member States, is an opportunity to undertake strategic reforms and improvements in line with the United Nations Charter and the Pact for the Future.

It is a chance to build the future of the United nations and of multilateralism together.

As such, it is based on ongoing consultation with Member States and the United nations system.

Before I hand over the floor to the Secretary General, allow me to underscore the importance of this moment.

There will be challenging conversations and tough decisions ahead.

Change is never easy, but it can be successful and very rewarding. We must embrace all the changes the UN needs in order to embrace and handle the challenges we all face. Let us be smart, efficient, collaborative, emphatic.

Above all, let us be ever mindful of our Charter responsibility to work for the peoples of the world.

Peoples of the world expect us to make the United nations successful.

And all peoples expect us to grow and evolve alongside the world we live in.

All circumstances that concern humanity are dynamic. They keep changing all the time. My dear colleagues, it is in all our interests to ensure that the United nations remains effective, cost efficient and responsive to the planet it serves. Let us make that a reality. Thank you.

I now give the floor to the. Secretary General, His Excellency, Antonio Guterres.

Mr. President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. Next month marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations Charter. The Charter is our roadmap to a better world, our owner's manual setting out purposes and principles, and our practical guide to advancing the three pillars of our work Peace and security, development and human rights. Anniversaries are a time to look back and celebrate, but they are even more a time to cast our eyes to the future. It is only naturally, especially in a period of turbulence and tumult, to look ahead and ask central questions.

How can we be the most effective organization that we can be? How can we be more nimble, coordinated and fit to face the challenges of today, the next decade, and Indeed the next 80 years? The UN80 initiative is anchored in answering these questions and equipping our organization in an era of extraordinary uncertainty. Yes, these are times of peril, but they are also times of profound opportunity and obligation. The mission of the United nations is more urgent than ever, and it is up to us to intensify our efforts to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals and be laser focused on implementing the Pact for the Future with its many pathways to strengthen multilateralism.

Excellence Excellencies. From day one of my mandate, we embarked on an ambitious reform agenda to strengthen how we work and deliver. The reimagined development system is one example. Our shared goal has always been to make our organization more efficient and effective, to simplify procedures, eliminate overlaps, and to enhance transparency and accountability of each and every one of us. The liquidity crisis we now face is not new, but today's financial and political situation adds even greater urgency to our efforts.

What is today called into question is the very meaning of multilateralism, its values, its principles and its sustainability, its very fabric. But I also sense from many of you a robust determination and political will to ensure a United nations that is stronger than ever before and ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century. We must rise to meet this moment.

As indicated in my letter of 11 March, the unit initiative is structured around three key work streams. First, we are striving to rapidly identify efficiencies and improvements in the current arrangements. Second, we are reviewing the implementation of all mandates given to us by Member States. And third, we are undertaking consideration of the need for structural changes and program realignment across the UN system. Under the first quest Stream on the efficiencies and improvements and the Secretary General, Katherine Pollard, is leading a Working group for the Secretariat that is developing a management strategy to design a new business model for the organization.

The Working Group is focused on developing cost reduction and efficiency enhancement proposals in measurement and operations across the UN Secretariat. It is reviewing administrative functions to identify redundancies, streamline processes and design integrated solutions with cost benefit analysis and clear implementation roadmaps. Priority areas include functional and structural consolidation, workforce streamlining, relocating services from high cost duty stations, centralizing IT and support services, and expanding automation and digital platforms. Wild Working Group's immediate focus is on management and operational areas. The rest of the Secretariat will be expected to contribute towards the efficiency agenda.

For example, all Secretariat entities in New York and Geneva have been asked to review their functions to determine if any can be performed from existing, lower cost locations or may otherwise be reduced or abolished. This especially pertains to those functions that do not directly support intergovernmental bodies in New York and Geneva with respect to the broader UN system. In April, the High Level Committee on Management identified potential system wide efficiency measures in areas such as human resources management, supply chain management and information and communications technologies. Concrete proposals are now being developed, including identifying services that system organizations can provide quicker at a lower price or through more competitive contracts. This brings me to the second Mandate Implementation Review.

As stated in my 11th March letter, this work stream is about how the UN system implements mandates entrusted by Member States. We will not review the mandates themselves. Those are yours to decide on. Our job is to examine and report on how we carry them out, and our goal is to simplify and optimize how we do so. Nearly 20 years ago, in 2006, an analysis of mandates and the mandate generation cycle was carried out by the Secretariat.

A number of problems were identified, including burdensome reporting requirements, overlap between and within organs, and unwieldy and duplicative architecture for implementation and gaps between mandates and responses. But let's be frank. Most of these problems are not only still with us, they have intensified. We must do better. Our review will be conducted holistically, looking at the entire universe of mandates and at the entirety of their implementation.

This review, therefore, cannot be limited to the UN Secretariat, but we'll start there. We have already completed an identification of all mandates reflected in the program budget and will soon do so for the rest of the system. The review has so far identified over 3,600 unique mandates for the Secretariat alone. It is now deepening its examination, clustering those mandates using various analytical lenses. After this analytical work Relevant entities and departments will be invited to identify opportunities for improvements and consolidation of efforts.

This should result in the identification of duplications, redundancies, or opportunities for greater synergy on implementation. Naturally, based on this work, Member States may wish to consider the opportunity to conduct themselves a review of of the mandates. There can be no doubt that the thousands of mandates in place today and our machinery to implement them stretch the capacities of Member States, especially those with small emissions, and the UN system beyond reason. It is as we have allowed the formalism and quantity of reports and meetings to become ends in themselves. The measure of success is not the volume of reports we generate or the number of meetings we convene.

The measure of success, the value, purpose and aim of our work is in the real world, difference we make in the lives of people. And that brings me to the third work stream. Structural Challenges, Structural Changes Proposals on structural change and program realignment are likely to emerge from the mandate implementation review, but we have already got the ball rolling by soliciting the view of a number of UN senior leaders. Their initial submissions, nearly 50 in all, show high level of ambition and creativity. Last week we deepened some of our ideas and thinking about structural changes in a dedicated session of the UN System Chief Executive Board for Coordination.

I felt a strong sense of collective determination, responsibility from the leaders of UN entities, a shared resolve to strengthen the system and assume the challenge of change and renewal, and a united commitment to bring to you our Member States concrete and ambitious proposals for a renewed United Nations. The UN system is highly diverse, consistent of organizations with a wide variety of structures and mandates. To advance our three work streams, I have established seven UN80 clusters under the coordination of the UN80 task force and in close cooperation with the Secretariat Working Group. Each of the seven clusters bring together the organizations that contribute to a similar specific global objective and similar areas of work. They will advance efforts in the three unit work streams identifying efficiencies and improvements, mandate implementation, review and possible structural changes.

They will be managed at the Principals level and will consist of the Peace and Security coordinated by dppa, dpo, OCT and oda. Development in the Secretariat and in Development we have two clusters because the work in the Secretariat is very different from the work in the agencies, but the two clusters will be working very closely together. So Development in the Secretariat coordinated by desa, unctat, the Economic Commission for Africa and UNEP Development for the UN System coordinated by undp, unops, UNICEF and DCO Third or fourth Humanitarian Coordinated Humanitarian coordinated by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, ffp, unicef, UNHCR and iom, then Human Rights coordinated by ohchr, next Training and Research coordinated by UNU and unitar, and finally Specialized Agencies coordinated by ITU and ilo. They will be the locomotive force for concrete proposals and they will operate at the high level of ambition that our times demand and that also echo in large measure the calls contained in the Pact for the Future Excellencies in all these work streams. My objective is to move as quickly as possible.

Initiatives impacting on the program budget for 2026 prepared under the coordination of the Secretariat Working Group will be included in revised estimates for the 2026 budget to be presented in September. As you know, the budget for 2026 the proposal was already given to ACABQ some time ago and it would be impossible to change it at the present moment. We will revise our proposals and present the revised version in September on time for the process to take place for the approval of the budget before the end of the year. Additional challenges that require more detailed analyses will be presented in the proposal for the proposed program budget for 2027. We expect meaningful reductions in the overall budget level.

For example, let me describe what is under consideration in the Peace and Security cluster. First, resetting DPPA and dpo, merging units, eliminating functional and structural duplications Getting rid of functions that are also exercised in other parts of the system. I believe we'll be able to eliminate 20% of the posts of the two departments. Second, a similar exercise of streamlining the civilian part of peacekeeping. Third, the consolidation within OCT of all counterterrorism activities spread in in the system.

Fourth, a review of the present structure of regional offices, special representatives and envoys aiming at the consolidation of the system with increased functionality and meaningful savings. The level of reduction of posts that I have outlined for DPPA and DPO must be seen as a reference for the wider UN80 exercise. Naturally, taking into account the specificities of each area of work, there might be immediate one off costs involved in relocating staff and providing potential termination packages. But by moving posts from high cost locations we can reduce our commercial footprint in those cities and reduce our post and non post costs. We have already seen considerable savings in New York by terminating the lease of one building and moving stuff into other existing premises.

And we expect to close two more buildings when their leases expire in 2027 with considerable savings.

While the regular budget is our immediate focus, the efficiency efforts will include the entire Secretariat across all funding streams. These will entail some difficult decisions as we assess structures and processes and seek meaningful efficiencies. The Impact on Member State contributions will be visible for years, but we cannot achieve the efficiencies required unless we also focus on the programmatic areas of our work. Dedicated outreach with the wider UN system is now underway and will take profit of the work of the established clusters. Additional proposals resulting from other work streams will be submitted to Member States for consideration as appropriate, and many changes will require the approval by the General Assembly.

This year and next, I will consult closely and regularly with Member States on progress, seeking guidance on the way forward and presenting concrete proposals for discussion and decision making when appropriate. We know that some of these changes will be painful for our UN Family. Staff and their representatives are being consulted and heard. Our concern is to be humane and professional in dealing with any aspect of of the required restructuring. Excellencies.

The Unit Initiative is a significant opportunity to strengthen the UN system and deliver for those who depend on us. It is central for implementing the Pact for the future. It is crucial for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. The needs of the people we serve must remain our guiding star. We must always stick to principles and we must never compromise core values.

And we must forever uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We will advance all these work so that our three peace, security, peace and security, development and human rights are mutual reinforce and the geographical balance of our workforce and our gender and disability strategies will be preserved and we will ever be mindful of the interests of all Member States, developing countries in particular. Your active engagement and Support for the UN80 initiative is vital to ensure that efforts are inclusive, innovative and representative of the needs of all Member States. The success of the UN80 initiative depends on all of us living up to our shared and complementary responsibilities. Many decisions ultimately are in your hands as Member States.

Many of you have agreed that this must be the moment to be bold and ambitious. That is what our organization needs and that is what our times demand. Make no mistake. Uncomfortable and difficult decisions lie ahead. It may be easier and even tempting to ignore them or kick the can down the road.

But that road is a dead end. We cannot afford to act in any other way than with the highest level of ambition and common purpose. Let us seize this momentum with urgency and determination and work together to build the strongest and most effective United nations for today and tomorrow. And I thank you.

I thank the Secretary General.

I now open the floor for comments or questions. This meeting will not have a pre established list of speakers. Delegations wishing to take the floor are invited to press the microphone button in order to allow maximum participation by all in the limited time available. I strongly encourage you to be as brief as possible. As announced in the Journal, delegations are requested to limit their statements to three minutes or to five minutes when speaking on behalf of a group.

I now give the floor to distinguished representative of Iraq who will speak on behalf of the group of 77 and China.

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the group of 77 and China. We thank you for convening this meeting and we particularly thank the Secretary General for providing us with a briefing about the UNH T Initiative. The members of the Group have followed with the deep concern the dire liquidity situation of the Organization, which has seriously impacted mandate delivery. The Group stresses that the most fundamental and effective answer to the recurrent liquidity problems of the organizations depends on Member States fulfilling their obligations to pay their assist contributions in full, on time and without conditions. This also requires at certain instances the removal of any impediment to enable Member States to fully and effectively fulfill their financial obligations with the Organization.

It is deeply disturbing that not only the Secretariat but many of the agencies, fans and the programs of the UN System are at a grave risk because of the delinquency in or our with in or the withdrawal of financial contributions. We also empathetically recall that one single Member State, which is also the only beneficiary of the maximum ceiling on the scale of the assessment, continues to be responsible for more than 90% of arrears to the regular budget. Regarding the efforts that the Secretary General has launched to seek efficiencies in the functioning of the organization the UN80 initiative, the group sees strong merit in the idea optimizing the use of scarce resources as a measure to ensure enhance effectiveness in delivering the mandates established by Member States. In order to ensure the best outcome on this process, the Group is of the view that it requires regular, meaningful and constitutive exchange with its entire membership at the level of General Assembly. While noting that the Fifth Committee remains a proprietate Main Committee of the General assembly entrusted with the responsibilities for administrative and budgetary matters, we would like to underscore as well as the rule of ACAPQ in this regard, the Group would also like to point out that any proposal aimed achieving efficiencies by reducing duplications and redundancies across the UN system should not aim to dismantling the UN agencies and funds to the determinant of due support to the Member States.

Most of the UN agencies accumulated specific institutional how not that must not be lost in the a process of trimling. In this regard The Group underscores the vital role of regional commissions as indispensable institutional assist with the deep regional knowledge, policy integration functions and proximity to the country needs that needs that need to be strengthened and not diminished. We emphasize that the reform that may be foreseen under this initiative must preserve first and foremost the multilateral and inclusive nature of United nations, while also avoiding austerity driven models that may ultimately compromise the effectiveness of our organization, particularly with regard to the implementation of its multiple mandate and approved by Member States. The Group also encouraged a strategic approach to the structural reform based evaluation outcome of a previous reform so as to identify the measure required to enhance overall effectiveness throughout this process. In conclusion, while we firmly support the notion of eliminating inefficiencies with the insist that this process requires consistent, permanent and transparent engagement with the membership, the Group of 77 and China looks forward to further consultations and engagement with the Secretary General and reaffirms committed to engage consideratively in this process to ensure that the Organization continues to serve its Member States more effectively.

I thank you.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Iraq. I now give the floor to distinguished representative of the European Union.

Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, I deliver the statement on behalf of the EU and its member States. The candidate countries, Turkey, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia Herzegovina and Georgia, as well as Armenia, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino aligned themselves with the statement. Thank you Mr. President for convening us today for this important briefing. We also thank the Secretary General for his continued leadership on a reform process that we fully support. Allow me to highlight a few key elements for consideration, at least in our view.

First, as we reform, we must recall that the UN over the decades has helped save millions of lives in war and famine, lift millions out of poverty, empower countless others and safeguard our planet through sustainable development and protect human dignity through the promotion of human rights for all. The EU remains fully committed to the UN Charter and to multilateralism grounded in respect for international law and the rule of law, in solidarity and in values based cooperation and global partnerships. The focus on efficiencies and mandate implementation must not come at the cost of the UN as a normative organization or ignore the UN's demonstrable success to date. Second, the Pact of the Future sets the what of a collective future action. UN 80 should define the how.

The Unity initiative must remain anchored in our shared priorities, including achieving Agenda 2030 and the SDGs. Third, it is essential to preserve the balance of the Charter's three pillars, elevating one over others undermines the core of multilateral work. Fourth, to succeed, we need to prioritize to simplify processes and to improve integration and coordination of both mandates, processes and agencies. We look forward to the Secretary General's concrete proposals to this end, including building on previous reform processes. Fifth, UN80 needs to be guided by evidence based decision making.

We all look forward to receiving from the Secretariat detailed data across the UN system on mandate implementation processes, performance and cost structures. Sixth, adequate and timely financing of the UN system, coupled with the broadening of the donor base are absolute musts. This includes both assessed and voluntary contributions. The European Union and its member states are the biggest collective contributors to the United Nations. Predictability and timeliness in financial contributions by all donors is an absolute prerequisite for the UN's success.

I would also like to take this opportunity to ask two questions. First, how will UNAD remain aligned with the Pact of the future across all three pillars? Second, when can you provide an overview of overlaps and duplications across the UN system, including mandates, revenues and staffing? Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General. The UNAD initiative is about building a stronger, more effective, more financially sustainable and ever more trusted organization, the un, that the world's citizens want and need.

You can count on the continued support and constructive engagement of the European Union and its member States as we move forward. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the European Union. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Singapore who will speak on behalf of the Small States Group.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Mr. Secretary General, thank you for convening this very important meeting. I would also like to thank the Secretary General for his briefing on his UN80 initiative. I have the honour to make this statement on behalf of the Small States Group. The SSG is a cross regional grouping of small states from different regions of the world comprising developed and developing countries.

We are a diverse group, but as small states we share a common interest in safeguarding and strengthening the United nations and the multilateral system. Founded on the principles and purposes of the UN Charter and based on respect for international law, the 80th anniversary of the UN represents a significant milestone for the international community. It is an opportunity for serious reflection on the future of the UN and the very idea of multilateral cooperation based on the principle of the south sovereign equality of all its members. The challenges facing the UN are real and serious. We are witnessing a period of geopolitical tension, economic fragmentation and rising nationalism as small states.

We believe that now is the moment to double down on multilateral cooperation to strengthen the UN system. This is not a moment for pessimism or passivity, but a moment for leadership and action to re energize and refresh the UN and the multilateral system. In this regard, we wish to make three points on the UN80 initiative.

First, the UN80 initiative must lead to a strengthening of the founding principles and purposes of the UN as outlined in the Charter. We are deeply concerned by the erosion of respect for international law and by efforts to reverse economic integration and globalization. For small states, a strong and effective multilateral system underpinned by respect for the UN Charter and international law is not an option, but an existential necessity. The UN 80 process must therefore reinforce the UN's role in in the maintenance of peace and security. We must strengthen the capacity of the UN in the areas of conflict prevention, mediation and peace building.

Second, we welcome the Secretary General's efforts to enhance efficiency and accountability within the organization and improve the delivery of mandates through the UN 80 initiative. There's much we can do to improve internal efficiencies and reduce overlapping mandates and restructure the UN system. At the same time. UN80 has to be more than an accounting or budgetary exercise. It is fundamentally an exercise to reset and reposition the United nations to deliver results for all our people.

In this regard, it is important to keep in perspective the need to adequately address all three pillars of our work, namely peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. This will require close and continued consultation between Member States and the UN AAT Task Force. Thirdly, the fundamental focus of the UN AAT Initiative must be better and quicker implementation of all agreements and mandates. As we review and reduce overlap in mandates, we must aim to strengthen the machinery and processes of the UN system to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Pact for the Future. In this regard, there is strong synergy between the implementation of the UN 80 reforms and the implementation of the Pact.

In fact, if we are serious about implementing the SDGs and the pact, we have no choice but but to undertake deep and serious reforms. The Pact for the Future provides the roadmap for us to deepen our cooperation and make the United NATIONS Future ready. Mr. President, let me conclude by saying that an inclusive and transparent UN80 process will help to build a strong and effective multilateral system. An inclusive process is also necessary to rebuild trust and confidence in the UN system. As small States, we are committed to the success of this process.

We thank the Secretary General for his leadership and we stand ready to work with all members to make this process meaningful, substantive and action oriented. Thank you very much for your attention.

I thank the distinguished representative of Singapore. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Palau who will speak on behalf of the alliance of Small Island States.

Mr. President, Secretary General, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the alliance of Small Island States as we commemorate 80 years of the United Nations. AUSSIS sees this as a vital opportunity to reaffirm the founding values of this organization while modernizing its capacity to serve those who depend on it, most particularly sids. EOSIS welcomes the Secretary General's leadership in pursuing reforms to strengthen organizational efficiency, improve delivery and foster greater coherence across the system, as at the same time we also believe reforms must be anchored in the UN Charter and all three pillars of our work in a balanced manner for sids, reform must also ensure that the UN becomes more responsive, more accessible and more equitable to better serve all our people. In this regard, reform must not lead to the withdrawal or reduction of UN presence in sids. Given our remote geographical location in country and regional presence is essential to the UN's effectiveness and helps build trust and tailored programming to meet our priorities.

Therefore, cost effective effectiveness and efficiencies must translate into deeper and more tailored support. As most sids are served by multi country offices, regional mechanisms and collaborations must be preserved in the Caribbean, Pacific and AIs regions to better address our vulnerabilities and challenges. Second, the UN80 initiative must be mandate driven and delivery focused. While AOC fully recognizes the need for a modernized, agile and responsive secretariat, investments in programs that serve the most vulnerable among us must be preserved at all costs. As such, structural changes and program realignment should not be used as a justification for reducing such investments, but must lead to improved delivery of mandates and including the achievement of the sdg.

I'd also like to respond specifically to moving to lower cost locations due to capacity. Many sids are not present in UN offices that are not New York or Geneva. So in addition to looking at costs at face value, we'd also like to look at efficiency and delivery of the mandate as it stands. Lastly, proposals must be discussed in an open, inclusive and transparent manner. As Member States collectively define mandates and allocate resources.

AUSSIS stresses the central role of the General assembly, in particular the Fifth Committee, in budgetary and administrative matters. For aussis, it's particularly important that the reform incorporates safeguards to prevent budgetary cuts from impacting development mandates, particularly of all those serving sids, including the Antigua and Barbuda agenda for sids, we also believe that the system can benefit from clear mechanisms for accountability when mandated activities are deprioritized, underfunded or unfulfilled. In closing, AUSS stands ready to work with you and Member States to ensure that the UN remains relevant, reliable and a trusted partner for all of us. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Palau. I now give the floor to distinguished representative of Nepal who will speak on behalf of the Least Developed Countries.

Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of Least Developed Countries. I align my statement with the statement made by Iraq on behalf of the group of 77 and China at the outset. I would like to express our Group's sincere appreciation to the Secretary General for your visionary leadership, continued commitment and the UN80 initiative that aims for a stronger, more effective United nations that delivers for people and planet. Mr. President, since its founding in 1945, we have continued to make progress in advancing global peace, sustainable development and human rights.

The United nations has laid a unique and strong foundation for multilateralism and global cooperation. It has remained instrumental for LDCs in assisting them to address hunger, poverty and economic challenges and pursue the path of sustainable development. It also provides a platform to raise their unified voice for the collective needs and challenges. However, the multifaceted crisis faced by developing countries, in particular the LDCs, including poverty, hunger, inequality, digital divide and impacts of climate change, are yet to be adequately addressed. Heightening geopolitical tensions, rising conflicts and crises and climate catastrophe make the multilateralism with the UN at its center, even more necessary than ever for global peace and security, sustainable development and human rights.

We must take this opportunity to not only to commemorate the eight decades of its existence, but but also as an opportunity to chart a new path for all for the coming decades. The purpose and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter remain fundamental even today to guide our actions and resource allocation. Article 55 mandates the UN to promote high standards of living, full employment and conditions of economic and social progress and development, while Article 56 obliges all member States to take joint and separate action in cooperation with the organization to achieve these aims. In the 75th anniversary declaration, the world leaders reaffirmed we will leave no one behind. We need a strong development system and effective collaboration between the UN and the international financial institutions for these commitments to be translated into tangible actions for the most vulnerable, we need an even stronger, more effective and more responsive un.

The UN has saved the modern world in profound ways. But its future depends on adapting to new challenges while continuing to support the most vulnerable nations. The group agrees with Mr. Secretary General that reforms are not just about internal processes, but about delivering tangible improvements in peace, development and humanitarian need. We recognize the reform areas that have been prioritized, efficiencies and improvements to current agreements in the arrangements in the un, the implementation of mandates from member states and structural changes and program realignment. The UN 80 initiative presents an opportunity to ensure that reform efforts are aligned with the needs of those farthest behind.

We acknowledge that global development partnerships are yielding results. The total number of LDCs has decreased from 52 in 1991 to 244 currently. This progress reflects the effectiveness of the UN system support, especially which are LLLs and the support from development partners. This momentum must not be lost. We must pursue an incentive based graduation approach as agreed in the Doha Program of Action, ensuring that graduating countries receive adequate support during their transition.

In conclusion, Mr. President, the UN80 initiative presents an opportunity to rebuild trust in multilateralism and reinvigorate the United Nations. For LD says a strengthened, efficient and effective UN is not a luxury but a necessity. We stand ready to engage constructively in the reform process to ensure that the UN remains effective, cost efficient and responsive to the people it serves. I thank you.

Thank you very much. I wish to say the following. I thank you for always cooperating. We noticed there are 59 persons wishing to speak. 59 Is a very long list, so be as short as you can be so that we can hear as many people as possible.

Thank you for cooperating. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kuwait who speak on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President. Mr. Secretary General. Excellencies. I have the honor to deliver the statement on behalf of the members of Member States of the Gulf Cooperation Council gcc, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Sultanate of Oman, State of Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and my own country, the State of Kuwait.

The GCC aligns itself with the two statements delivered on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and the Arab Group. At the outset, we express our sincere appreciation to the Secretary General's Secretary General for his leadership and efforts to improve and elevate the working methods of the United nations at this crucial moment for the United nations, and we thank him for today's comprehensive briefing. The Initiative's ambition to ensure the UN remains effective, efficient and responsive to the member states it serves is both timely and essential at a time of global and Unprecedented challenges. The need for an efficient and adaptable United nations is greater than ever. We welcome the UN 80's initiative's focus on identifying efficiencies and improvements in the way it works, reviewing the implementation of mandates from Member States and undertaking a strategic review of deeper structural reforms and program alignment realignment in support of broader efforts to strengthen the UN system through the Pact for the Future and its annexes.

Mr. Secretary General, the GCC fully supports efforts to improve efficiency and reduce duplication. Provided these efforts strengthen, not diminish the organization's ability to deliver on its mandates while enhancing transparency and accountability, we see particular value in enhancing coordination and leveraging the expertise of regional organizations to implement UN mandates more effectively. In this regard, the GCC stands ready to work closely with the United nations on the review of mandates. We encourage a careful consolidation of overlapping or inapplicable mandates, including their possible reconfiguration and impact assessment to ensure the UN remains focused, streamlined and responsive to today's priorities and challenges. Regarding structural changes and program realignment in the UN system, we see a valuable opportunity to introduce improvements that would contribute to a more efficient and cost effective organization, one that is better aligned with the priorities and needs of member States, particularly those of developing countries.

At the heart of this process, we believe the reforms must be guided not solely by cost reduction goals, but by a vision of a more effective, inclusive and accountable United Nations. We also wish to pay tribute to the dedication and professionalism of UN staff worldwide whose tireless efforts uphold the organization's principles and deliver its mandates, often under challenging conditions. In conclusion, the GCC countries reiterate their support for the Secretary General's efforts for reforms. We look forward to your proposals to the General assembly in July 2025 and to work constructively toward a more effective, efficient, mandate oriented and sustainable United nations that is aligned with not only today's world, but also with the Future. Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the distinguished representative of Kuwait. I now give the floor to distinguished representative of Norway who will speak on behalf of the Nordic and Baltic countries.

President, Secretary General, thank you for convening this briefing on the UN 80 initiative. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the eight Nordic and Baltic countries. We welcome the Secretary General's initiative to review the UN system at this very challenging time. We we agree that the UN needs to reform to stay relevant and strong for the next 80 years. For the Nordic and Baltic countries, a functioning and streamlined multilateral system with the UN at its core is more important than ever.

The UN is and will remain the principal multilateral forum where all states have a seat at the table and come together to tackle complex global challenges. We thank you, Secretary General, for your leadership. We need a strong and effective UN that will help us to implement the Pact for the Future, Agenda 2030 and to reach the Sustainable Development Goals. I would like to make four points of importance to the Nordic and Baltic countries in this process. First, the Nordic and Baltic countries stand ready to engage and to support the Secretary general in the UN 80 process.

Now is the time to be ambitious, concrete and bold. We need you, Secretary General, to make decisions within your jurisdiction to show the membership some early wins and a high level of ambition related to efficiency gains. We look forward to innovative proposals, including those that leverage modern technologies, as well as clear guidance for the work that will take somewhat longer to finish. Secondly, the reform process must uphold and secure the rules based international order and the global leadership role of this organisation as outlined in the Charter and based on the balance of its three pillars, peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. Only the UN has the mandate, legitimacy and infrastructure to play this role.

Thirdly, it is crucial for the Nordic and Baltic countries that the UN 80 process is conducted in full transparency. This is also the time for increased dialogue and solidarity across regions. We are in this together. The UN is indispensable to end conflicts and poverty, address climate change and protect and promote human rights. The Nordic and Baltic countries will therefore engage with countries in all regions.

We will look beyond our traditional groups to build support for the necessary reforms. Fourth, and finally, the relevance of the UN system is determined by its impact and results. UN 80 must strengthen the UN's ability to deliver for people at country level. Let us use this opportunity to stand together and craft the UN which is stronger, more effective and fit for the realities of today's world as well as for tomorrow's. All members must honour their commitments in full and on time.

So let me conclude by asking you, Secretary General, about the current liquidity crisis in relation to the UN 80 reform, considering that all Member States do not honour their commitments as they should and I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Norway. I now give the floor to distinguished. Representative of Barbados who will speak on behalf of the Caribbean community.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the 14 member states of the Caribbean Community. CARICOM aligns itself with the statement delivered by Iraq on behalf of the group of 77 in China and by Palau on behalf of the alliance of Small Island States. We thank The Secretary General for the launch and briefing on the UN 80 initiative. At this pivotal moment in the history of the organization, the 80th anniversary of the United nations is not only an occasion for reflection, but a call to action.

As a region of small states deeply committed to multilateralism, CARICOM strongly supports the UN and believes that now more than ever, the organization must be revitalized to effectively meet the demands of a changing world. We are keenly aware of the current turbulence in the multilateral space. However, CARICOM does not view this moment with pessimism. Rather, we see this as an inflection point collectively to reaffirm and renew our commitment to the founding principles of the Charter. We are encouraged by the Secretary General's appointment of a dedicated task force and note with appreciation that consultations have already begun.

CARICOM stands ready to engage constructively with the Secretary General and with the broader membership in this important effort. We also hope to see some tangible results that can build momentum and demonstrate progress. Mr. President, CARICOM brings to this process a mindset shaped by our own regional experience. We are no strangers to external shocks or institutional challenges. Our instinct is not to retreat in the face of difficulty, but to respond pragmatically with practical solutions oriented thinking.

In that spirit, we acknowledge the current liquidity and financial constraints affecting the UN system. We understand the need to do more with less and also better with less, and we support efforts to improve efficiency and eliminate redundancies. However, this cannot come at the expense of the UN's essential character, including the core principle of geographical diversity and representation. Reform must be bold, but principled efficiency must not become austerity. We urge that reform efforts remain grounded in the UN's three core pillars of peace and security, sustainable development and human rights, and also uphold the UN's unique convening role and normative leadership.

We also stress that budgetary and structural reforms that could affect mandate delivery or the distribution of resources must involve full and transparent engagement with the membership. At the same time, we respect the Secretary General's role as Chief Administrative Officer. We encourage his continued leadership in identifying areas for internal reform and in enhancing the UN's ability to deliver results. But as we move forward, the UN80 initiative must ultimately aim at to create a more agile, responsive and future ready United Nations. That goal is entirely consistent with the vision articulated in the Pact for the Future, which CARICOM supports.

Implementation must be the guiding principle not only of the pact and the SDGs, but of the reforms that will enable the system to deliver. Mr. President, in closing CARICOM reaffirms its commitment to the success of the UN 80 initiative. We will support proposals that strengthen multilateralism and help the United nations become more focused, more efficient and better equipped to serve the needs of present and future generations. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Barbados. I now give the floor to distinguished. Representative of the United Arab Emirates who speak on behalf of the Arab Group.

Thank you, Mr. President. I am pleased to deliver this statement on behalf of the Arab Group and thank the Secretary General for his insightful briefing today on his UN80 initiative and his proposals which we followed with great interest. The Group welcomes this initiative which aims to strengthen the efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness of the United nations in serving the interests of all. In this regard, we value the efforts made by the Secretary General and his engagement during the session of the Chief Executive Board and emphasize the importance of encouraging comprehensive and continuous participation in the various stages of the reform process. As the world faces an unprecedented escalation in geopolitical tension, crises and armed conflicts, it is imperative that the organization's capabilities be enhanced to ensure it can effectively keep pace with and respond to emerging challenges and fulfill its vital role as the main multilateral organization in the world in a manner that restores confidence in the organization and its institutions and agencies.

In this context, we underscore that the reform process and its proposed measures must align with the founding principles and purposes of of the UN Charter.

This process must not undermine the organization's role in building bridges, overcoming divisions, supporting populations most affected by crises, disasters and conflicts, and addressing both existing and emerging threats. This process must also contribute to ensuring the accelerated implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

We also believe that this initiative must go beyond mere budget rationalization and short term responses to the liquidity crisis. It should encompass a comprehensive structural review of the United nations operations and mandates, particularly in light of the nearly 5,000 existing mandates. The same time, this process and the proposed structural changes it includes must not lead to the loss of institutional knowledge of the UN agencies and funds or undermine the role in a way that weakens the support due to Member States. We underscore the importance of avoiding duplication and strengthening coordination between the United nations and its various agencies on the one hand, and regional organizations on the other to leverage their expertise to achieve the objectives of these mandates. In this regard, strengthening the vital and indispensable role of the regional commissions is essential given their in depth knowledge of regional contexts, their ability to achieve policy integration, and their close proximity and direct engagement with Member States.

Additionally, it is necessary to improve the efficiency of the UN Secretariat and modernize its working methods in order to achieve tangible results. Finally, the Arab Group looks forward to the forthcoming proposals under this initiative and reaffirms its commitment to engaging constructively with the organization, regional groups and member states. It also expresses its support for all efforts aimed at strengthening the UN's effectiveness and capabilities to enable it to effectively adapt to current challenges and respond to future needs. Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the distinguished representative of the United Arab Emirates. Now I'm going to go to countries. Where they express themselves individually, but I. Wish to say that we have to. Stop in about 30 minutes so that I can give the Secretary General an opportunity to answer the questions you keep asking.

I'm giving the floor now, but make sure you don't take more than three minutes. If you can take two minutes or one minute, that's perfect.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Austria.

Thank you, Mr. President. All protocols observed. Austria fully aligns itself with the statements delivered by the European Union and the Small States Group and would like to add the following remarks in its national capacity. We are honored to host one of the headquarters of the United nations in Vienna, as Well as over 50 international other organizations. Our unwavering support for multilateralism is combined with our strong commitment to be a good host to the United Nations.

There is always room for improvement and Austria has always supported and will always support measures to make the United nations more effective, efficient and resilient. This was also emphasized by our Foreign Minister, beaten me, and during her last visit. Reform yes. Replace no. Mr. Secretary General, Austria therefore fully supports your courageous reform approach with the goal to revitalize the United nations and enable it to deliver on its core mandates in peace, security, human rights and development.

Reform proposals should take into account quantitative factors, meaning a comprehensive overview of all types of costs, as well as qualitative factors, including the availability of qualified labor force and the proximity to other international organizations. The process must be fair, transparent and inclusive. A strategically balanced solution must be ensured for the UNHQ in Vienna as a core location within the UN system, including its organizations and programs. To conclude, I would like to reiterate Austria's strong support and commitment, together with the EU and its member states as the UN's biggest contributor to pay and continue to pay our contributions in full, on time and without conditions. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Austria. I will now give the floor to distinguished representative of Ethiopia who will speak on behalf of the African Group.

Thank you, President, for giving me the floor we align with the statement delivered by the group of 77 in China and Africa holds its substantive group position until after we have our group briefing by USG Guy Ryder on Thursday. But in the meantime want to give some general points on this reform idea. So this is a very consequential reform effort and Africa will be hugely impacted by this reform. So efficiency is very, very desired outcome, effectiveness is desired outcome. But the Africa the interest revolves around particularly the development, the UN development system.

So the UN development system should be protected while doing all this overarching reform process. The Sustainable Development Goals globally also needs to be given special focus. Pact for the Future, of course, provides the framework for it, the framework for the reform, the multilateral reform process, and that should continue to serve as a template for the multilateral reform engagement and initiative that the Secretary General has undertaken. We will continue to support efforts for effectiveness for efficiency, but in the meantime we are very, very watchful about the development impacts, whichever way they may be affected. In the meantime, after having very good conversation and more information through the briefing with the usg, we will be engaging more substantively down the road.

I thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ethiopia. I now give the floor to distinguished representative of Mexico.

Mr. President, Mexico congratulates the Secretary General and welcomes the UN 80 initiative. We agree that it is necessary to drive forward an extensive reform of the United nations, one that will transform the organization for the 21st century, as is being called for by the nations of the world. The reform must also place it at the heart of a modern and effective multilateralism, one able to provide unflinching responses to the major multifaceted challenges facing humankind. Only smart, audacious action will make it possible for the Organisation to flourish in the years to come and to preserve its relevance as the main international organization able to shoulder effectively the common commitment to international peace and security, as well as to tackle current and future global challenges in the fields of disarmament, sustainable and shared development, the fight against climate change and the defence of human rights. The dilemma is a clear one, moving towards a UN able to tackle unprecedented challenges threatening us today, such as climate change and social inequality, or plunge into a spiral of backwards momentum, a world where crucial challenges, crucial decisions, continue to be taken only by the most powerful on Earth.

Our reform must represent all of the membership. It is vital that this reform be inclusive and transparent. It must be a commitment between Member States and the Secretariat, one which keeps channels for dialogue and ongoing communication open, so that together we can decide upon the future of the United nations that we wish to see. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Mexico.

I now give the floor to distinguished representative of Cuba.

Mr. President. We align ourselves with the statement made on behalf of G77 in China and with that made by EOCIS. We are grateful for the convening of this informal briefing. We're also grateful to the Secretary General for his statement regarding the UN 80 initiative. We wish to underscore that we are gravely concerned at the delicate situation currently besetting the United nations owing to financial difficulties.

Difficulties we should not overlook the sabotage that the United States is performing against this organization in refusing to pay its contribution and fund the agencies of the United Nations. The work of the majority of these bodies makes the difference between life and death for millions of people throughout the world, primarily in some of the most poor, the poorest nations on the globe. With that, we also wish to say that we'll always be interested in any exercise whose goal is to achieve more efficient resource use. We note that the UN80 initiative was launched with that very goal in mind. However, we sense that we still need greater clarity.

According to announcements made, we understand that there is a working group for this initiative. However, we haven't seen public information on the members of that Working Group. Neither have we seen the publication of other information, such as the time frame for this initiative, its scope, how guidance from Member States will be received, and these are just some concerns. Given that we cannot predict how the initiative will play out, we wish to underscore a number of additional points. One, no reform that comes from that process can prompt or lead to change in the content or mandates of agencies established by the United nations if there is no guidance issued from legislative bodies.

2. We should ensure due respect for governing bodies of the various entities of the United nations system where the Secretariat is concerned. We insist that any administrative or budgetary proposal must absolutely be subject to ACABQ scrutiny as well as that of the fifth committee. 3. Achieving efficiencies cannot ultimately translate into the eradication of work areas of this organization.

Neither can it delete the institutional footprint and memory of its bodies. Moving functions to locations where the cost of living is lower than New York or Geneva requires an evaluation that calculates all possible costs. In a context of liquidity constraints, taking decisions without considering all implications could lower morale among staff, and that could lead to the Organisation's credibility being eroded elsewhere. We wish to indicate that Secretariat staff must return to offices on a full time basis. Fifthly, we should undertake an evaluation of recent reforms to determine whether these have been cost effective and if necessary, we should make appropriate adjustments to them.

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Cuba. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Plurinational State of. Bolivia who speak on behalf of the landlocked Developing Countries.

General Excellencies, I have the honor to deliver these remarks on behalf of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries, remarks that are in harmony with the statement delivered by the group of 77 and China at the outset. Allow me to express our Group's sincere appreciation to you, Mr. Secretary General, for your participative leadership and commitment to strengthening the United nations through the UN at initiative. Mr. Secretary General, since the foundation of the United nations, the multilateral system has served as an essential pillar for advancing global peace, sustainable development and realization of human rights. For the LLDC32 member states with a population of about 570 million, this platform is crucial in tackling the unique constraints arising from our geostructural disability. Over the past decades, we have pursued target efforts to address our country's structural challenges, with particular emphasis on trade facilitation, infrastructure development and improved connectivity.

In December 2024 Member States endorsed the AWAASA Program of Action, a new strategic framework to guide our collective work for the next 10 years. This renewed vision builds on early achievements and aims to accelerate progress in areas where persistent gaps continue to hold us back. Despite these initiatives, our countries continue to grapple with high transport and trade cost, limit, market access and vulnerability to economic disruptions and climate change. Lingering effects of the pandemic, geopolitical tensions and protectionism measures compound these challenges, threatening the reverse hard Earned development gains as we mark the approach of the 80th anniversary of the United nations, we see an opportunity not just to commemorate the past, but also to envision an organization reinvigorated to meet 21st century challenges, one that places particular emphasis on supporting vulnerable groups such as the LLTCs Excellencies. We welcome your emphasis, Mr. Secretary General, that reforms must translate into tangible improvements in peace, development and humanitarian support.

Structural changes, increase efficiency and improve coordination at all levels of the UN system are essential to fulfill the mandates envisioned in the Charter and its members directives. We also underscore the need for deeper partnerships between the un, international financial institutions, regional development banks and private sector. Improved trade and transit infrastructure, greater access to technology and sustainable financing would be vital for LLDCs to fully integrate into global markets and achieve the SDGs distinguished delegates. We also stress the importance of maintaining and reinforcing dedicated UN support structures such as the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked developing Countries and Small island Developing States, which play a vital role in advancing the development priorities of LLDCs. Any reform must enhance nor reduce the capacity of these offices to deliver target support countries in special situations.

In conclusion, Mr. Secretary General, the United nations has played a transformational role over the past eight decades guiding the States toward collaboration and enabling progress on shared aspirations for peace and development. As we look forward to the 8th anniversary of the UN, we must harness this milestone to reaffirm our commitment to an organization that efficiently support its most vulnerable member states, including lldc. I thank you.

Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Bolivia. Before giving the floor to the next speaker. I'll ask that you reduce your time to two minutes so that we can manage a few speakers. I now give the floor to distinguished representative of China.

Mr. President, I thank you for convening the meeting today. I thank Secretary General Guterres for his briefing. China aligns itself with a statement by Iraq on behalf of G77 and China as the most universal representative and authoritative inter governmental organization. The UN has played over the past eight decades an important role in maintaining international peace and promoting common development. But at the same time, due to the withholding of funds by the largest contributor, the operation and effectiveness of the organization are facing serious challenges.

The Secretary General has launched UN 80 initiative to promote the reform of the UN so as to achieve better quality and high efficiency. This is mission critical. It requires Secretary General's deep involvement. We look forward to a positive and effective outcome. 4 Points.

1. It is imperative to defend and uphold authority of the un. Reform is aimed at strengthening, not weakening the organization. As the international situation gets more complex and volatile, there is the greater need to support the UN in playing a central role. The international system, with the UN at its core, must be preserved.

This is the fundamental direction and ultimate goal of the reform, which must be firmly maintained. 2. It is necessary to promote the balanced development of three pillars. Peace and development, peace and security, development and human rights are mutually reinforcing. Therefore, they should be promoted in a balanced way.

As we speak, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda is seriously lagging behind the schedule. The momentum of international development cooperation is sluggish and insufficient. Reform should be focused on prioritizing development in terms of mechanism and resources. 3. It is important to enhance the effectiveness of the work of the un.

A leaner UN that is more efficient, responsive, physically responsive and influential is in the interest of all countries. Reform based on the interests of the general membership. As such, it is necessary enhanced transparency, strengthen consultation among member states, build the broadest consensus possible. Reform should not be used as an excuse for any country's failure to fulfill its financial obligations. 4.

It is essential to safeguard the interests of developing world. The vital interests of developing countries must be fully taken into consideration. The representation and voice must be effectively enhanced. No country should be allowed to play place its interest above those of Member states and sacrifice the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries in order to satisfy its own needs. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of China. I now give the floor to distinguished representative of Australia.

Thank you, President. In view of time all courtesies observed, this is obviously a pivotal moment which requires us to do things differently and decisively. We agree the status quo is no longer viable. Our efforts must be on preserving critical functions which support the key pillars of the UN system peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. Member States elected you Secretary General to guide this organisation and we back you to set us on course on the three lines of effort for UN80.

First, we acknowledge efforts to move quickly to reduce costs and duplication. Our priority must be on the ground delivery of outcomes. A one UN approach with one budget and one set of outcomes in continuing our efforts to leave no one behind. Second, the focus on mandates is a stark reminder that we can only reform together. UN 80 must be an endeavour of both the UN leadership and member States.

We as Member States established mandates without sunsetting others. Meetings are getting longer and more complex. Agendas are overflowing and we cannot expect the UN system to continue to absorb the impact. Third, we consider the work on structures will have the most enduring impact and we look for a UN system which is streamlined, coordinated, effective and fit for the future. We look forward to the recommendations on the consolidation of agencies.

We have had many reform processes in the past. This one can't be just another one divorced from the real time downsizing of other UN centres, especially Geneva and field offices around the world. We can't be New York centric. We ask you, Secretary General, to drive a connected agenda to reform the UN as one. Importantly, no region can be left behind.

Southeast Asia hosts UN hubs that should be considered and in the use of lower cost duty stations. Thank you very much indeed.

I thank the distinguished representative of Australia. I now give the floor to distinguished representative of Morocco.

Mr. President. Mr. Secretary General or protocol observed for the sake of time, my delegation will focus on three points. First, we commend the Secretary General for his timely and visionary UN80 initiative. Morocco sees it as a vital opportunity to modernize the organization, enhance its efficiency and make it more responsive to today's global challenges. Second, we welcome the emphasis on coherence across the UN system as well as the commitment to inclusive consultations.

We believe that for reform to succeed, ownership by membership Member States is essential. This process must remain transparent, member driven and anchored in the principles of the UN Charter. We need to ground reforms in the 2030 Agenda and the Pact for the future. Focus on practical operational improvements and simplifying procedures, not added layers of complexity, and strengthen coordination between UN entities and Member States for greater impact on the ground. Third, and finally on financing, we underscore that reform cannot succeed without financial sustainability.

Liquidity challenges remain a serious concern. Morocco, as an early contributor to the 20132025 regular budget, reaffirms its commitment to well resourced and effective un. We stand ready to engage actively in the collective effort and remain steady, deeply committed to renewed multilateralism based on solidarity, cooperation and shared responsibility. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Morocco.

I now give the floor to distinguished representative of the Russian Federation.

Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General. It's a shame that such an important discussion is something that we don't have time for. I'll also try to cut down my statement.

On the whole, the initiative is something that we support. I would note that this is not the first time the UN has been facing financial problems that took place in the 70s, in the 80s, in the 90s, in connection with the resulting cash deficit. In 1985, with the active involvement of Fifth Committee experts, the so called Group of 18 was formed. The group of high level intergovernmental experts to review the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United nations that prepared 83 recommendations at that time, if you remember, or perhaps you've been told. Every article of the budget was voted upon, was adopted by a vote.

And thanks to this reform that was come up with by Member States, there were many changes that were adopted and all of those recommendations were endorsed and that made it possible to to reduce expenditure in the present circumstances, when we have been presented essentially with a fait accompli of an initiative that has already been developed. We are closely paying attention to everything that leaks into the media and clearly that is coming from scared staff members. But we would like to say a few words about the essence of this initiative. We do stand ready to work on revitalization of the UN on the basis of its Charter, which is the cornerstone of the entire system of International relations.

We believe that problems are caused by a lack of financial discipline, by high handedness of major donors in imposing non consensus functions and mandates. Excessive the organization's excessive reliance on voluntary contributions which as we understand are in particular at risk. The excessive bureaucracy in internal processes. Excessive leadership posts, a lack of geographical representation and the Secretariat exceeding its mandate as enshrined in the Charter and the loss of impartiality which has guaranteed a robust legitimacy.

We consider that the thoughts that are being come up with on the 38th floor could form the basis for work. And the most important thing is for that process to be accountable to Member States and fully transparent. It's important that the ACABQ and the JIU be involved in this. That will help achieve efficiencies. You yourself recognize duplication and that means that the CEB has not been managing its work.

It's important to think about how we can ensure that the CEB is more effectively accountable to Member States. A separate problem is the high cost of the procurement of goods and services by the UN and system organizations.

We also note that we mustn't hurry in relying on Member States. We should not repeat the mistakes that were made in the agreeing on the negotiations on the Pact for the future because essentially we are now starting from scratch with negotiations on the Pact for the future because we were too hasty in that pact and did not work on the basis of consensus. I have two questions.

How do you plan to regulate the disagreements of the various different governing bodies in the UN and the specialized agencies?

And secondly, do the Bretton woods institutions enter into the orbit of this reform? Thank you for your attention.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of South Africa. And after that you'll be Japan.

Thank you, Mr. President. South Africa, thank you for convening this important information session. And we also thank the SG for his briefing. An improved United nations system is a fundamental requirement for maintaining an effective multilateral governance framework resulting in concrete outcomes for the sustenance of advancing global peace and security, sustainable inclusive growth and development and protecting human rights. The UN system will continue to be the principal mechanism and voice of the global majority, combining the aspirations of the developed and developing countries so as to enhance greater commitment and ownership by all stakeholders.

South Africa supports the UNAID initiative and in doing so we need to consider the following. Firstly, to recall the need for efficiencies, cost saving and systemic coherence predates the current financial constraints and liquidity management crisis. Secondly, there needs to be a Clear differentiation to be made between the mandate of the UN Secretariat and that which can be done in implementing the UN initiative vis a vis the important role of Member States and the need for the latter to exercise their authority and prerogative in providing strategic and political direction. Thirdly, the core mandate of the UN as a spouse in our Charter, its purposes and principles, should remain as the guiding beacon. Fourthly, in doing so, the commensurate and guaranteed assessed contribution of Member States need to be made in full for the UNAD initiative to gain further traction.

The gradual replacement of assessed with voluntary contributions makes our situation even more precarious. Fifthly, each area of the engagement of the UNAD initiative should receive requisite and equal attention, not one at the expense of the other. This will ensure achievement of the SDGs and implementation of the Pact of the Future and for the African continent Aspirations of Agenda 2063 the future we want lastly, UNAD has to be contextualized against the principle of equitable geographical representation. Furthermore, we need to give consideration to the rejuvenation of the Organization. We thank the SG for his leadership and you can count on the continued support of South Africa.

Thank you.

We thank the distinguished representative of South Africa. I now give the floor to a distinguished representative of Japan. After that, it will be Egypt.

Thank you, Mr. President and the Secretary General. As a large time major contributor to the United Nations, Japan has tried to be constructive in previous efforts to reform the UN and remains firmly committed to working in close partnership with the entire UN system and all Member States. I have four points to register today. First, I appreciate this meeting and starting this important dialogue process between the Secretariat and the Member States. Meaningful reform can only be achieved through the full and active engagement of Member States and their decisions.

It is Member States shared rights and responsibility to remain informed, to seek common ground and most importantly for us to take decisive action. Second, eight years have passed since the foundation of this organization. To remain relevant and effective, the UN must evolve to reflect the realities of the 21st century. Substantial and meaningful reform is warranted with transparency to the Member States and their decision making genuine, representing the world as it is today, including through the reform of the Security Council. Third, streamlining the mandates, namely eliminating deprecation and sifting through outdated mandates where necessary, is essential to consolidating the work of the UN around what is truly needed.

This will enable the organization to better deliver on its responsibility, including those of the Pact for the Future and increase its credibility. Fourth, let us also recall that the strength and uniqueness of the UN lies In its comprehensive approach encompassing three Peace, security, development, human rights plus humanitarian activities and last but not least, rule making for global governance. These functions must continue to guide us as we strive to restore trust in this dispensable institution. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Japan.

I now give the floor to distinguished representative of Egypt. After that it will be the United States.

Thank you very much. President. President, Egypt is very grateful to the SG.

We fully support as a founding member the UN 80. We thank him for the briefing and we have been calling for for some administrative reforms. So naturally now it's happening. We totally support a few points to make. This process needs to be inclusive, transparent and enjoying the full buy in of U.S. member states.

We hear you as the loud and clear. The GA will consider the outcomes of the the work streams. This is great news. Second, this reform process should be comprehensive overhauling the entire business as usual approach. This needs time and thorough consideration.

To that what we heard today from the SG is very comforting. Ambitions are quite great. Third, since we cannot find a way on the cash liquidity, since we cannot find a way to ensure that all of us pay in full and on time, fiscal prudence alone will not solve the problem. We should have more flexible rules, more creative rules. Let me put it that way.

We should shift to implement a more profitable business model. Mr. Secretary General, I agree with Norway other what they have stated. Australia as well. I agree with Ambassador James. We as Member States we need to look at our drawing board.

Not just calling for change to happen at the Secretariat. We need to change the way we do the business. And lastly, that reform and so on should not be at the expense of the staff and the human resources. Happy to see that. The SG said his consulting with the staff unions or so.

Those people have been making great compromises and achievements and we should have them fully on board while embarking on those reforms. Thank you very much, Honorable President.

I thank the distinguished representative of Egypt. I now give the floor to distinguished representative of the United States.

Thank you, Mr. President and thank you for your briefing, Mr. Secretary General. The United nations remains essential to resolving complex international challenges. First among them, maintaining international peace and security and addressing the causes of conflict, armed conflict. The UN must return to its principal purpose and the Secretary General is uniquely positioned as the chief administrative officer to lead this endeavor. At a time when many governments are facing budget reductions and reprioritization, the United nations must refocus on effective delivery of its core purposes.

This includes better delivery where it matters most at the country level. Mr. President, the United States looks forward to hearing about a singular strategic vision of the organization for this moment and receiving concrete and specific proposals on how the UN will achieve greater efficiency and cost savings, eliminate duplication and consolidate functions. We recognize that that many UN entities are already taking steps to streamline operations to continue implementing priority mandates. The most significant way to achieve savings is to cut posts as the majority of costs are non discretionary staff costs. The generous package of compensation and benefits should also be closely looked at.

While relocating staff to lower cost duty stations may be appropriate for some functions, shifting international staff alone will not achieve significant savings. Likewise, there are many duplicative mandates and functions throughout the UN system. The UN must review offices and agencies that have similar functions or mandates and make proposals to eliminate, streamline or merge them. Using system wide shared services and leveraging the scale of operations of the UN system can also achieve savings and drive greater coherence and collaboration. Mr. President, the 80th anniversary of the United nations is an appropriate moment to take bold steps to ensure the organization is fit for purpose.

We all must have the courage to do so. Far from sabotaging the un, such reform efforts are indeed critical to saving it. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the United States. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Romania. You will be the last speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I would like to upload the approach of the Secretary General.

The trust in the multilateral system has been continuously eroding and we think the UN80 is very timely and also the best response we can provide to maintain and strengthen the relevance of the United Nations. And this is perhaps one of the most consequential proposals for the UN and by consequence for the multilateral system. We also see it as a dignifying tribute to the San Francisco spirit and a very strong connection with the Pact for the Future that our leaders adopted in September last year. Mr. Secretary General, your leadership and authority are crucial for laying down the ground for targeted reform. I seize the opportunity to commend you for the ambitious targets set out in your briefing and to express our full support for your vision.

From March to today, the initiative has gradually advanced from a grand idea to very concrete avenues, and I truly welcome your very concrete ideas that you mentioned today. I'm also pleased to see the focus your initiative places on mandate review and implementation. Streamlining and repurposing of the UN agenda is one area where tangible results can be immediately observed and we should shift our focus from duplicating mandates to mandate implementation. Combine and merge is the Right approach, as you also said. And this introspection should lead to a significant overhaul, not to cosmetic changes with stronger tools to implement our mandates on the three pillars.

And the overall grand objective is to make multilateralism more efficient and more effective. And of course, with UN at the center. Thank you very much, Mr. President.

I will exceptionally give the floor to Switzerland and that will be the last speaker.

Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you, Mr. Secretary General. Thank you very much for having taken the time to brief us. And I think that we are all aware how much multilateralism is going through unprecedented upheaval among an increase in the number of violations of the normative framework and attacks on the very principles that underpin multilateral action, dialogue, cooperation and the pursuit of consensus. Switzerland therefore calls upon all stakeholders to urgently recommit to these principles and to unfailingly support multilateralism.

This is a necessary precondition for any thinking about reform and efficiency measures that should strengthen the impact of our common action. In this regard, we are grateful, Mr. Secretary General, for the UN80 initiative and we thank you for your explanations about the the direction in which you are intending to take this reform. Switzerland supports your initiative, which should not only meet requirements of efficiencies in the immediate term, but also allow us to streamline the work of the organisation, make it more effective and improve its impact for medium and long term challenges. The envisaged reform measures must therefore be targeted and proportionate. Strengthening efficiency, consistency and the impact of multilateral action should const constitute our compass.

And together we need to create a shared strategic vision, because otherwise we do see a risk that we engage in widespread short term cuts without a strategic vision. Or indeed we would engage in relocalizations that would lead to false economies and a fragmentation of the system. At this time, when the financial resources available to the organization must be revised down, only an approach focused on strengthening and maintaining existing synergies can be a truly responsible approach. In this regard, allow me to recall that Geneva already has established clusters in thematic areas and each of them are strongly focused on the needs in the field and support for Member States. Those clusters constitute a unique and almost universal ecosystem.

And there of course, I'm referring to what my colleague from from Palau said who spoke on behalf of iosis. It would be sensible to rely on that and any relocalization should aim to strengthen the impact of the UN's activities in the medium and long term and should not be motivated solely by immediate economies. Equally essential work done to prioritize efficiency measures must be based on existing measures within the most innovative organizations. Switzerland is full of aware of its responsibility as a host state and member state, and remains strongly committed to the principles of the organization. And you can count on us for our support in coming up with this strategic long term vision.

Thank you very much.

We have come to the end of the time available for the meeting today. Delegations who were not able to make their statements due to the limited time available. I encourage to submit the statements to estatements for posting in the Journal of the United Nations.

I now give the floor to the. Secretary General, His Excellency Antonio Guterres, so he can respond to some of the questions raised.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. And I would like first of all to express my deep gratitude and appreciation for all the participants in the meeting and especially for the extremely valuable interventions that were made. And that will help me also to clarify a number of very important points.

And I would start by saying what this process is not. Because sometimes in many of the interventions that were made, I felt a certain discomfort with the possibility of this process having a certain number of characteristics that were considered. I would say less positive. First, this process is not a way to weaken our commitment to the values and principles of the UN and to accept a weakening of multilateralism. On the contrary, this process is a process that aims to increase our capacity to make the Charter more relevant at global level, to make international law more respected, and at the same time to make sure that we are fully able to to support all multilateral processes and strengthen multilateralism.

Second, this process is not a process to replace the Agenda 2030 or the Pact for the Future. This is a process that aims at creating better conditions for the UN to guarantee the implementation of the Agenda 2030 and the Pact for the Future. And these will be permanent guidelines. Nothing will be done that will undermine our capacity to implement the Agenda 2030 or the Pact for the Future. That doesn't mean that it will be easy.

We all know the difficulties, the obstacles and the problems that we face. Third, this process is not a process based on the idea of the back to basic. Consider, the UN was created essentially to guarantee peace in the world. So let's forget about development, let's forget about human rights, let's forget about other areas and let's concentrate on the basics. No, I am a true believer that the three pillars, peace and security, development and human rights, are three essential components of our activity.

And there is no way to guarantee peace and security without development and without the respect of human rights. And so the idea that we can concentrate efforts on peace and security and forget about or reduce our efforts in development or human rights would be completely wrong. And this will not be what we will do. And that is the reason why today I gave an example about the things that we are doing and I started exactly on how we can streamline make more effective and more cost effective our response in the peace and security sector. On the other hand, this is not a process aiming at circumvent the Member States and reduce the role of the Member States in the decision making process in relation to the reforms that are, in my opinion, necessary.

On the contrary, we will be permanently entirely at the disposal of Member States. I already made four meetings with different groups of Member States and I'll make as many as necessary. Guy rather is at disposal of Member States and I am disposal of the General assembly to come as many times as possible into structured discussions on specific areas of interest of Member States. This is a first meeting in which I try to present the global picture. But it's my interest that this is done in very close consultation with Member States.

But more than that, we are organizing things in order for, namely the aspects that are related to the Secretariat to come through a revised budget process, which means that they will go through the ACABQ and the Fifth Committee. So, independently of the consultations with Member States in the formulation of the proposals, we decided that the best way to conduct decision process in relation to transformations that are necessary necessary is to use the budgetary process in which the acabq, the Fifth Committee are part. And our only appeal is for the Member States in the Fifth Committee to be engaged in making sure that we reach the improvements that we want to reach in relation to our effectiveness and in relation to our cost effectiveness, and obviously in relation to what escapes the Secretariat. It will be through the different decision bodies of the different agencies. They will have to go through those bodies.

And to the question how will we guarantee the overcome of the disagreements of the agencies? The answer is it is exactly through the construction of the clusters as a methodology of work in order to make sure that all agencies that are linked to the same objectives and that areas of potential conflict or of duplication will address it, and then will present to their governing bodies the necessary changes. The other idea is that these will reduce the support to Member States. And I want to tell you that the objective is exactly to conduct the reforms in order to not only maintain, but to the extent possible, be more effective in the support to Member States. And here there is a main consideration that I would like to make.

And of course it's not easy, but I think it's very relevant. When I was in UNHCR and I had more freedom in relation to the budget, we did a huge effort to reduce the money that we were spending with ourselves, UNHCR and to increase the money we were spent with the beneficiaries and with the countries supporting the beneficiaries in the Secretariat. We have a situation in which most of the money is spent with ourselves and very little is used in direct support to Member states. And I think we need to make a serious reflection that maybe we need to have structures that are more streamlined, avoiding duplications, consolidation, creating conditions to spend less money with ourselves and to have more money for direct support to Member States, especially developing countries, and in particular the African continent was referred. It is one of my main objectives to have a system that is more able to really support Member States, especially developing countries.

And I think that we. And this is linked to the other question, which is the question of mandates. Of course, I have no authority to create or to reduce mandates. We will work in the implementation of mandates. But I make an appeal to all of you.

Let's create an intergovernmental process, because it needs to be intergovernmental process to look into the mandates that exist today and to do a serious effort to avoid duplications and to make sure at the same time that those that are outdated disappear and that we concentrate efforts in those that are more relevant for the activities of the un. Because, to be honest, when I look at the number of reports that I make and that the Secretariat makes on all kinds of issues, and I look at the delegations of the overwhelming majority of the countries, namely the smaller countries, I have doubts that the Member States can follow large chunks of the work that is done, large chunks of the reports that are produced. And I think it would be much better to have less paper and more capacity for everybody to follow everything that happens and to have a say in the work of the un. And my appeal to all of you is to have a serious look into the mandates themselves. For our part, we will try to see how best we can implement the mandates that decided by you in a way that avoids also from the point of view of implementation, duplications and inefficiencies that exist.

On the other hand, this is not an answer to the liquidity crisis. The liquidity crisis is caused by one simple fact, the arrears, the fact that we have a huge debt to the organization by its true essential UN Member state, few others. And this is the reason why we have a liquidity crisis. And we won't solve a liquidity crisis by reforming the organization. We solve the liquidity crisis by countries paying full and on time their contributions.

What we also believe is that if we are more effective and more cost effective, first of all, we will be more able to limit the impact of the liquidity crisis and maybe we create motivations for payments to be more guaranteed in time and in full.

There was a question related to the Bretton woods system. The Bretton woods system is not participating in this reform. This reform is strictly in the context of the un. Of course, the cooperation with the Bretton woods system is very important, but their decision making processes are completely different. And it would be impossible to do it together.

To be able to have the maximum of possible decisions as early as possible. We are going to make a big effort to be able to present in September a revised version of our proposals to the budget, allowing for the budget approved for 2026 to already include many of the aspects that in between have been discussed and. And in between have been decided by again, the budget process, which means going through the icabq, going through the Fifth Committee. On the other hand, we are aware that this is a short period of time. And so you admit that a number of other things will need to be looked during the process for the elaboration of the budget for 2027.

And I hope that we will be able to make savings without undermining our capacity to deliver and that those savings will of course, be helpful in a moment in which we are all aware resources are scarce. On the other hand, I would like to say a word about localizations.

We do not have the idea that the delocalization of services is the solution for all our problems. No, in some circumstances a delocalization makes sense, in other circumstances it doesn't. But delocalizations are taking place as we speak.

UNICEF has moved part of its back office to Nairobi. ITC is prepared to send about 50% also to Nairobi. And UNHCR has substantially increased its participation in Nairobi. These are examples about Nairobi. And while I spoke about Nairobi, because Nairobi is in Africa and there was a concern expressed that we might be abandoning Africa.

On the contrary, at the present moment, the processes of delocalization that are taking place are exactly to Nairobi, because Nairobi has a huge campus, has huge capacity to increase its space and its offer, and it has costs that are competitive. But that doesn't mean that we can move to Nairobi. Everything that is in New York, or everything that is so, that is exactly not the case. Delocalizations need to be seen on a case by case basis and decided by the bodies that are relevant in the entities that might be willing to delocalize. As obviously, delocalization means that some posts are eliminated in one place and created in another place.

It obviously means that the Member States will be called to decide in relation to those processes. Finally, I would like to say that we are extremely, extremely committed to do everything possible to make our organization more and more a central, central instrument of the development of multilateralism. That we want to make sure that in a world where international law seems sometimes to be forgotten, that the charter, international law, international humanitarian law, international human rights law, all these things remain absolutely central in our work and absolutely central in our objectives in relation to the international community. And to say that we see this reform as a way to be much more effective in relation to the prevention of conflicts, in relation to the mediation of conflicts, in relation to peacekeeping and to peace building, and simultaneously in relation to our capacity to support Member States address the enormous challenges of development, that at the present moment they face in debt, in lack of resources, and that we consider the development pillar to be an essential basis of our work. Together, of course, with the conscience that in a moment in which human rights are being put into question in so many parts of the world, this reform cannot be made by weakening our capacity to defend human rights everywhere.

So our three pillars will be maintained, the equilibrium of the pillars will be preserved. And another thing that I want to say is that someone spoke about regional diversity. This is exactly one of the preoccupations that was discussed in the ceb. We need to preserve at all costs an orientation that I have introduced since the beginning of our work, which is to increase progressively regional diversity, to have a better regional balance in the world, or geographical balance, if you want, in the way we work, as we believe that this cannot be undermining the progress we did in gender parity, or undermining the progress that we did in relation to people with disabilities. We need to make sure that when we do the operations that we'll do, and eventually in the areas where staff will be reduced, that we do it preserving those essential values.

We want our organization to be more and more with an equilibrium in relation to the geographical distribution of its staff, and more and more committed to gender parity, and more and more committed to give adequate protection to the people with disability and the conditions for them to be able to fully work in the organization. But And I conclude with this, we are entirely at your disposal through all the processes that, by the initiative of member States, by our initiative, can be put in place to increase our dialogue. And we will fully respect. We will fully respect the institutional mechanisms of decision that are essentially, with the exception of the areas in which I have myself, competence of chief administrative officer, which are very limited. As you know, most of the reforms that will be implemented will be a decision of member states.

And I count on the strong commitment of member states to strengthen our organization. Thank you very much.

I thank the Secretary General.

I thank delegations for their participation in this morning's meeting. I also thank you for your patience. The informal meeting of the plenary is now concluded. The meeting is adjourned.