by Ada Zhang

UNITED NATIONS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations General Assembly convened an informal plenary meeting on Monday to hear a briefing from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the UN80 Initiative, a wide-ranging reform effort launched as the UN approaches its 80th anniversary of founding.

The UN80 Initiative, introduced in March, aims to modernize the operations of the 193-member body. The reform focuses on identifying efficiencies and improvements within existing frameworks, reviewing how member states' requests are carried out, and exploring changes to the agency's structure, said Guterres.

The changes are expected to yield "meaningful reductions" in the overall budget, said Guterres. The departments for political and peacekeeping affairs could see a 20 percent reduction in staff by eliminating duplication, according to UN.

The financial strain on the organization is already apparent. As of May, just 1.8 billion U.S. dollars of the 3.5 billion dollars in regular budget assessments for 2025 has been received, which represents a shortfall of roughly 50 percent, according to data from the Fifth Committee of the UNGA.

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, said his expectation of this reform initiative is to advance institutional renewal and efficiency enhancement. "This is a task of great importance, and the Secretary-General must exercise strict oversight. China hopes the reform will deliver concrete results."

"As the world enters a new period of turbulent transformation marked by rising unilateralism and multiplying global challenges, the role of the United Nations must be reinforced, not diminished," Fu said.

It is essential to uphold the authority and status of the United Nations, he said. He added that reform must strengthen rather than weaken the organization.

"The more complex and volatile the international situation becomes, the more important it is to support the UN in playing its central role and to safeguard the international system with the UN at its core. This must remain the fundamental direction and ultimate goal of the reform, and should be firmly upheld," the Chinese envoy said.

"A more streamlined, efficient, responsive, financially accountable, and influential United Nations is in the interest of all parties," he said.

As reform concerns the interests of all member states, "it is imperative to enhance transparency, strengthen consultation with member states, build the broadest possible consensus, conduct comprehensive and prudent evaluations, and make responsible decisions," he added.

"Reform must not be used as an excuse for the UN to do less or even nothing, nor should it become a justification for certain countries to shirk their financial obligations," Fu emphasized.

He stressed that the legitimate interests of developing countries must be fully safeguarded. Their representation and voice must be effectively enhanced. "This is key to the success of the reform," he said.

"It is unacceptable for the interests of a few countries to override those of other member states, or for the legitimate rights and interests of the vast number of developing countries to be sacrificed to meet the demands of a minority," he said.

Guterres and his predecessors have faced challenges in trying to reform the organization over the past decades. The UN has been criticized for heavy bureaucracy, slow decision-making, and fragmented coordination among agencies. The UN is also heavily dependent on voluntary contributions from member states, which leads to unpredictable funding.

Abbas Kadhom Obaid, permanent representative of Iraq to the UN, speaking at Monday's meeting on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, expressed "deep concern" over the dire liquidity situation of the UN.

He noted that "one single member state, which is also the only beneficiary of the maximum ceiling on the scale of assessments, continues to be responsible for more than 90 percent of arrears to the regular budget."

Obaid pointed out that any proposal aimed at achieving efficiencies by reducing duplications and redundancies across the UN system "should not aim at dismantling UN agencies and funds, to the detriment of due support to member states."

"We emphasize that any reforms foreseen under this initiative must preserve, first and foremost, the multilateral and inclusive nature of the United Nations, while also avoiding strategy-driven models that may ultimately compromise the effectiveness of our organization, particularly with regard to the implementation of its multiple mandates approved by member states," he said.

He added that 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.

Burhan Gafoor, permanent representative of Singapore to the UN, speaking on behalf of the Small States Group (SSG), said the world is witnessing a period of geopolitical tension, economic fragmentation and rising nationalism. "We are deeply concerned by the erosion of respect for international law and by efforts to reverse economic integration and globalization," he said.

The UN is facing a significant budget shortfall as the United States and other donors scale back humanitarian aid and multilateral funding. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 includes deep cuts to foreign aid, with signals that U.S. contributions to the UN system could be nearly eliminated.

Richard Gowan, UN Director at the International Crisis Group, warned in April that the UN may face a 20 percent budget reduction in 2026 due to donor cuts and unpaid member contributions, The New York Times reported.

In February, Trump signed an executive order calling for a review of U.S. engagement with the UN and withdrew from agencies focused on human rights, reproductive health, climate change, and global health. Other UN donors, including the United Kingdom, are also reducing humanitarian spending. ■