International Body Acknowledges Low Readership of Its Reports
As the United Nations (UN) turns 80 this year, the organization is facing a series of challenges, including a liquidity crisis for the seventh year in a row due to member states not paying their mandatory regular dues in full or on time. Amidst these challenges, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has taken a proactive approach, proposing a set of reforms aimed at improving the efficiency of the UN system.
Guterres recently briefed countries on a report that highlights the issue of many UN reports going largely unread and the high volume of meetings and reports within the UN system. He stated that this sheer number is pushing the UN system to the breaking point. The report, produced by the UN80 reform taskforce, focuses on improving the efficiency of the UN system and addresses the issue of a high volume of meetings and reports.
The UN80 reform report is one of several initiatives aimed at modernizing the UN. It is concerned with the implementation of mandates by UN staff and offers specific recommendations to reduce the number of UN meetings and reports while ensuring all mandates are met. These recommendations focus on streamlining mandate implementation, improving internal efficiency, and reducing duplication across over 40,000 existing mandates.
The reforms proposed by the UN80 taskforce aim to create a more transparent and manageable framework to prioritize and implement mandates. They suggest relocating or optimizing the UN’s global footprint to enhance operational efficiency, enhancing coordination among the main UN organs and subsidiary bodies to streamline decision-making and reporting, and utilizing thematic and programmatic reforms to better integrate mandates and reduce fragmentation.
Guterres also proposed that UN reports should fully meet the requirements of all mandates, implying a focus on quality over quantity. He stated that downloading UN reports does not necessarily mean they are read. The top 5% of UN reports are downloaded over 5,500 times, while one in five receives fewer than 1,000 downloads.
The UN80 reforms are part of the broader UN80 Initiative launched in 2025, aiming to modernize and boost the efficiency and responsiveness of the UN by its 80th anniversary. The initiative addresses the problem of a historically vast and complex mandate landscape.
In addition to the UN80 reforms, Guterres proposed a reduction in the number of UN meetings and reports. He believes that these reforms are crucial for the UN to continue fulfilling its mandates effectively and efficiently.
[1] UN80 Initiative: Modernizing and Boosting the Efficiency and Responsiveness of the United Nations [2] UN80 Reform Report: Improving the Implementation of Mandates by UN Staff [4] UN80 Reform Taskforce: Streamlining UN Meetings and Reports to Enhance Efficiency and Accountability
- The UN80 Reform Taskforce is proposing a set of reforms to improve the efficiency of the United Nations (UN) system, with a focus on streamlining mandate implementation and reducing the high volume of meetings and reports within the UN.
- Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, has emphasized the need for quality over quantity in UN reports, stating that downloading these reports does not guarantee they are read and that the top 5% are only downloaded over 5,500 times, while one in five receives fewer than 1,000 downloads.
- In line with the UN80 Initiative, which aims to modernize and boost the efficiency of the UN by its 80th anniversary, the UN80 Reform Report also suggests reducing the number of UN meetings and reports to ensure the UN can continue fulfilling its mandates effectively and efficiently.
