Fifth Committee Considers Proposed $3.6 Billion Budget for 2025 Reflecting Goals in Pact for Future, Global Digital Compact, Declaration on Future Generations
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today began its line-by-line consideration of a proposed $3.6 billion regular budget for 2025 that reflects priorities laid down in landmark agreements such as The Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres introduced dozens of reports detailing the proposed 2025 figures, which make up the Organization’s sixth annual budget, as well as the specific programmes that will renew its commitment to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights.
Excluding special political missions, the proposed budget includes 10,494 posts, a net increase of 115 posts. The $3.6 billion figure includes $711 million for the continuation of 36 of these missions in the coming year. “We continue to make every effort to find efficiencies while also recognizing that any further cuts to support departments risk jeopardizing policy, operational or communication support to our programmatic work,” he said.
Highlighting five specific elements of his proposal, he first detailed a proposed $4.5 million increase for the development pillar. About $2 million, split evenly among all entities, is earmarked for the Regular Programme of Technical Cooperation. That means these resources — which are direct support to Governments to advance their development efforts — would have grown by more than 45 per cent since 2019. The proposal also includes $1 million for the Development Account. A proposal for assessed funding for the Resident Coordinator system, which “has faced a chronic funding shortfall since day one,” is now being reviewed by the Fifth Committee, he said, stressing: “A sustainable and predictable funding mechanism, through partial financing from the regular budget, is essential.”
Turning to human rights, he said the proposal includes an additional $8.3 million to support the work of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic and ensure it functions at full capacity in 2025 and an increase of $8 million for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) so it can more effectively implement its mandates, especially regionally.
A third element aims to boost support for unprecedented humanitarian challenges in Gaza by funnelling about $3.5 million in additional resources. This includes a nearly $2.5 million increase for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which complements the additional $30 million approved for 2024. “UNRWA is a lifeline for Palestine refugees, and a crucial factor for regional stability,” he said.
The Organization’s peace and security pillar would benefit from a $50 million grant for the Peacebuilding and Recovery Facility of the Peacebuilding Fund starting in 2025. This mechanism was approved by the General Assembly. The proposed budget aims to strengthen the Organization’s capacities in investigation and ethics with a $2 million increase to create three temporary positions in the Ethics Office and 10 in the Office of Internal Oversight Services.
“Our 2025 budget continues to strive towards our shared vision for UN 2.0, through a forward-thinking workforce culture, empowered by cutting-edge skills,” he noted, adding that gender equality and geographical representation remain priorities. The Assembly decision to increase the number of geographical posts has reduced the total countries that were unrepresented or underrepresented and overrepresented. One hundred and twenty countries are now within range compared to 103 in December 2023.
The Secretary-General’s reports under the proposed programme plan for 2025 include (documents A/79/6 Sects. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and Corr.1, 25, 26, 27 and Corr.1, 28, 29, 29A, 29B, 29C, 29D, 29E, 29F, 30, 31 and 34; and under the proposed programme budget for 2025 (documents A/79/6 Intro and Sects. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and Corr.1, 25, 26, 27 and Corr.1, 28, 29, 29A, 29B, 29C, 29D, 29E, 29F, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, and Income Sects. 1, 2 and 3.
Input from Advisory Bodies
Committee for Programme and Coordination
Jesús Velázquez Castillo, Vice-Chair of the Committee for Programme and Coordination, presented the report (document A/79/16), based on its sixty‑fourth session held during a five‑week session ending 14 June. Charged with responsibility to review the Secretary-General’s work programme, the Coordination Committee examined 28 programmes enveloped in the 2025 proposed programme budget, made specific recommendations on 12 of them and recommended that the General Assembly review the 16 remaining programmes during this session.
Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ)
Abdallah Bachar Bong, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), then introduced that body’s related report: First report on the proposed programme budget for 2025 (document A/79/7). The Advisory Committee noted that, excluding additional proposals considered during the upcoming Assembly session, the Secretary-General has proposed a $3.65 million budget before recosting, including $711.3 million for special political missions. That represents an increase of $10.77 million, or 0.3 per cent, compared with the 2024 appropriation.
Fifth Committee Chair Egriselda Aracely González López (El Salvador) then drew delegates attention to several reports: The Independent Audit Advisory Committee’s “Internal oversight: proposed programme budget for 2025” (document A/79/89); the Secretary-General’s Statement: “Programme budget implications of the Committee for Programme and Coordination” (document A/C.5/79/2); and the Advisory Committee’s related report (document A/79/7/Add.7).
Delegates Voice Concern over Growing Financial Constraints
Alarmed by the Organization’s deepening financial constraints, many delegates stressed that its resources should be used wisely and equitably across the primary pillars of development, peace and human rights.
The representative of Singapore, speaking on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said the UN’s financial challenges have disproportionally impacted developing countries and called for adequate funding of mandates. “Over the years, we have witnessed artificial constraints that set the United Nations up for failure. This includes arbitrary cuts to the proposed budget and the deliberate withholding of contributions,” she said, adding that these actions undermine the Organization when Member States should be working together to strengthen multilateralism.
“We must shoulder our responsibilities,” said the representative of Switzerland, speaking also for Liechtenstein, urging adequate funding for all mandates, including conflict resolution.
Uganda’s delegate, speaking for the Group of 77 and China, said that over the last five years funding for the development pillar has stagnated or barely changed while resources for some other pillars have increased by nearly 64 per cent. “The Group emphasizes that mandates must be adequately financed,” he said, stressing the need to thoroughly discuss the Regular Programme of Technical Cooperation and the Development Account. “We aspire to increase the relevance of the Secretariat to the peoples that need the United Nations the most, especially those from the Global South.”
The representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, noted that the UN budget encompasses a wide range of priorities, all of which are instrumental for the Organization’s effectiveness. “Therefore, it is essential that all three pillars of the Organization are treated equally,” she said. Her delegation supports adequate funding for the OHCHR to address the chronic underfunding of human rights.
Costa Rica’s delegate also backed strengthening the human rights pillar and lamented that the three pillars — which are entwined — are sometimes pitted against one another during negotiations. “This is counterproductive and we ask delegates to refrain from this technique,” she said. Turning to the proposed budget of $3.6 billion, the United States’ delegate said that though presented as a flat budget, there are many factors that have not been added in. Without including add-ons, the 2025 budget would be $120 million more compared to the 2024 budget.
Crucial Role of Planning
Many delegates voiced their support for the Committee for Programme and Coordination, which has the responsibility to review more than two dozen programmes enveloping the Secretary-General’s work programme. Yet they were concerned that the body did not wrap its five‑week session with consensual outcomes for 16 of the 28 work programmes. Speaking for the Africa Group, the representative of Egypt said: “The Group is alarmed at the increased number of programmes where consensus could not be reached.” The General Assembly President and Fifth Committee Chair must help the chairs of the Main Committee regarding the 16 outstanding programmes to ensure that the relevant Committees actually lay down conclusions and recommendations.
The representative of Uganda also reaffirmed the Coordination Committee’s role as the main organ for programme planning. “It should be strengthened and not weakened,” he said. The United Kingdom’s delegate said it is essential that the Organization have the “right resources in the right areas”. He is deeply concerned that the Coordination Committee reached consensus on only 12 of the 28 programmes, the least number in many years. “This impasse is a failing of our multilateral system. It puts more pressure on the Fifth Committee during an already busy session.”
While some delegates supported using regular budget funding for the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic, the representative of Syria voiced strong opposition. The Organization should manage its resources efficiently, he said, rather than waste it on politicized mechanisms that have no mandates. The Russian Federation’s delegate agreed: “This is a great waste of resources,” he said, adding it is illegitimate and was not requested by the Syrian Government. He also called the one‑year budget cycle a burden that creates extra work for staff and the Advisory Committee. “The shortfalls of the one‑year budget are visible,” he said, adding that he is disappointed that the budget is not adopted by consensus.
Several delegates threw their support behind additional funding for the UNRWA. “No one can replace UNRWA in its role,” said Jordan’s delegate. “It is irreplaceable.” Agreeing that UNRWA needs adequate financial resources, the representative of Morocco said the Pact for the Future sets out a trajectory for a more sustainable and equitable way. “Each dollar spent must contribute to achieving the goals that are set out,” he said.
Secretary-General Requests Return of Credits Be Suspended
Thanking the delegates for their commitment to multilateralism and their detailed knowledge of budget issues, the Secretary-General distinguished between the logic of the budget and the consequences of the ongoing liquidity situation. The budget is an effective response to mandates defined by the Organization’s governmental bodies. “The expenditures are totally controlled,” he said. Yet now in mid‑October, the Organization is waiting for $1.5 billion in assessed contributions, about 40 per cent of the money that corresponds to the present budget. For that reason, he has asked the Assembly to temporarily suspend the return of credits for 2023 against the 2025 assessment. “If not, we could start 2025 in a very difficult cash situation,” he said.