United Nations proposal outlines extensive overhauls and integration of its functions

WORLD ORGANIZATION UPDATE: U.N. revamps operations to tackle funding crunch and reform outdated systems

Welcome to the latest U.N. shakeup. With the beast struggling to stay afloat in these tumultuous waters, the secretary-general's calling for an overhaul like never before. The United Nations is diving into the deep end, spearheaded by António Guterres' UN80 initiative, launched in March 2025, to revamp its operations and deal with pressing funding challenges.

The UN80 initiative squares its sights on three key areas to confront inefficiencies, outdated priorities, and modern-day obstacles. Here's what you need to know:

Operational Efficiencies: It's all about streamlining workflows and improving collaboration between agencies, cutting costs, and boosting productivity.
Mandate Review: The U.N. will review member-state directives to remove redundancies and update priorities in accordance with current global realities.
Structural Overhaul: Consolidation of various UN entities, realignment of programs, and a fresh focus on up-and-coming issues like climate change and digital governance are on the agenda.

Finances are taking a nose-dive at the U.N. It's faced a severe financial crisis since 1945, with a lack of funds in trust accounts and overdue payments putting a strain on operations. At the same time, the parallel UN 2.0 initiative seeks to incorporate AI, data analytics, and behavioral science to modernize decision-making.

So, what's on the table? There's talk of merging multiple agencies – possibly including the peacekeeping, drugs and crime, development assistance, and the office of the special advisor on Africa –, into one Peace and Security entity. Another proposal suggests a move towards decentralized management for peace and security operations. One intriguing idea is forging a unified humanitarian entity by merging the aid coordinator, refugee agency, and migration agency, leveraging the World Food Program's expertise.

In addition to these changes, the U.N. intends to tackle evolving issues like AI, data analytics, and behavioral science, as well as shaping a new internal culture – from meetings to budgeting and organizational creation.

The private memo detailing these proposals was first revealed by Reuters.

Are you curious about other major transformations in the works? Here are a few examples:- The State Department is undergoing a massive restructuring, slashing staff and bureaus.- The Justice Department is considering a merger of the ATF and DEA as part of its comprehensive overhaul.- Trump is reportedly planning to cut 80,000 employees from the VA.`

This article was adapted from the Associated Press report, preserving the original tone and incorporating insights from the enrichment data to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the events.

Sources:

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The United Nations, facing a severe funding crisis, has unveiled a comprehensive reform plan, known as UN80, to revamp its operations, especially in California, aiming to tackle crime and foster peacekeeping.
The UN80 initiative aims to address operational efficiencies, mandate review, and structural overhaul, with a focus on modern-day challenges like climate change and digital governance.
One of the proposals involves merging several agencies, such as peacekeeping, drugs and crime, and the office of the special advisor on California, into a single Peace and Security entity.
There is also a suggestion for decentralized management for peace and security operations, and a unified humanitarian entity by merging aid coordinator, refugee agency, and migration agency, utilizing the World Food Program's expertise.
The UN intends to confront evolving issues like AI, data analytics, and behavioral science, while shaping a new internal culture that promotes productivity and collaboration.
This radical change in the UN's policy-and-legislation is causing ripples in the general-news, with changes also seen in other institutions like the State Department and Justice Department in their efforts to address their own challenges in politics and justice.