On 28 January 2026, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote to all UN member states to warn that the UN is facing “imminent financial collapse”. While it is not unusual for the Secretary-General to raise alarm about the dire financial situation facing the UN, this most recent appeal comes at a time when significant cost-cutting has already occurred. Following negotiations, the UN budget was already cut by 15%, including the elimination of almost 19% of staff positions. These cuts have had dire consequences for UN operations on the ground, with severe underfunding of humanitarian needs.
The current crisis is the result of UN member states failing to pay their regular annual budgetary contributions or paying them late. Over the past few years, several states have fallen behind on their annual assessments. As the institution entered 2026, the largest contributor, the US, accounted for 95% of the outstanding dues, totalling $2.2 billion. At the time of writing, there were signs that this gap could be filled, which would be a welcome development. At the same time, the liquidity and funding crisis, alongside severe political attacks, undermine decades of international consensus and international law laid out in UN treaties, resolutions, and the UN Charter itself. During a speech in Davos, Switzerland, the current context was vividly described by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as a “rupture” that has laid bare the failings in the international rules-based order.
Faced by this prospect of crisis and collapse, it could be easy to lose motivation and assume that the multilateral project is doomed to failure. However, this would overlook important factors that give us hope and continue to anchor the work of Quakers at the UN.
We know that the vast majority of UN member states remain committed to the values and vision reflected in the UN Charter and to principled multilateralism. QUNO staff in Geneva and New York see this every day in our engagement with diplomats from around the world.
In this context, what Quakers do at the UN becomes more valuable than ever. Strained by polarization and faced with the prospect of UN events being postponed or cancelled, the informal, off-the-record space offered by QUNO in our Quaker Houses in New York and Geneva becomes all the more important. Our emphasis on connection, communication, and relationship building means we are uniquely placed to support multilateralism, even if the UN’s physical spaces are closed. This allows us to continue walking alongside diplomats, UN staff, and civil society partners who share our vision of an international institution that delivers peace and upholds human dignity.
