UN Staff Unions Slam Reform as Chaotic, Rushed and Lacking Vision

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Under-Secretary-General for Policy Guy Ryder who coordinates a Task Force responsible for the ongoing restructuring plans.

A coalition of UN staff unions, led by the 60,000-strong Coordinating Committee of International Staff Unions and Associations (CCISUA), has written to UN member states criticising the UN80 reform process as “incoherent and lacking strategy”.

The union, one of the largest coalitions within the world body, is urging the 193 member states to take control of the UN reform process, which is currently led by a Task Force.

Among several concerns raised by CCISUA, UN80 is dismissed as “chaotic and rushed”. In a critical analysis, the staff union points out that the proposed restructuring:

Doesn’t address the root causes of the problem

Forces managers to cut positions without analysing how the UN can be more relevant

May require correction by the next Secretary-General

Will impact frontline services (either through UN80 or due to ongoing funding shortages)

Will result in a loss of capacity, especially at the national level

Demonstrates poor understanding of the current UN structure

Is led by a task force that is arbitrarily composed, which biases outcomes

Will be costly to implement

Is being carried out without consultation

The letter calls on UN member states to assume greater control of the process.

Separately, Secretariat staff unions have written to the President of the General Assembly, requesting an opportunity to address member states about UN80.

“Closer to Geneva, a good example of the incoherence in UN80 is OHCHR downsizing offices in the field while expanding its Vienna office, claiming it brings them closer to the people they serve,” the letter stated.

As a reminder, Secretary-General António Guterres appointed his Special Adviser, Guy Ryder, to lead UN80. “We will follow up with further actions to contain the damage being caused by Mr. Ryder’s initiative,” the letter warned.

Guy Candusso, a former First Vice-President of the UN Staff Union in New York, told IPS that reform processes are often handled by those looking to protect their own interests.

“The UN, since Under-Secretary-General Joseph Connor left, has become top-heavy with a proliferation of D2-level positions and above. The reforms being proposed are politically motivated,” he said.

He added that handing control over to member states may not help either, as ultimately it depends on funding. “If funds aren’t forthcoming, I don’t see a good outlook for staff,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Laura Johnson, Executive Secretary, and Ian Richards, President of the UN Staff Union in Geneva, provided an update on the latest developments around the UN80 initiative.

The Staff-Management Committee (SMC), the global body for consultations between management and staff unions, met last week at the UN Mission headquarters in Kosovo.

Despite repeated promises to the General Assembly and staff, UN management did not present detailed UN80 proposals (including the 20 per cent budget cuts to the regular budget and peacekeeping posts) to the unions, and refused to consult on the reform.

The only exception was a partial and inconclusive discussion on possible mitigation measures for affected staff, pending the General Assembly’s decision on the 2026 budget later this year. Although unions urged management to correct misleading statements about union consultations, no action has been taken.

Due to the lack of formal consultation, staff unions have engaged informally with member states. Mitigation measures, still subject to final approval, include:

Offering termination packages in July/August to staff aged 55 and over by year-end

No relocations required before 30 June 2026, with options for remote onboarding and up to three months of telecommuting from original duty stations

If staff numbers exceed available posts, comparative reviews will be conducted from January to February 2026 to determine staff retention, with a commitment to renew fixed-term contracts that expire before that time

Separated staff may be placed on Special Leave Without Pay (SLWOP) for a period yet to be determined

Priority flagging in Inspira for staff in retention group 1 if new positions become available, with a potential extension of this measure pending approval by the Secretary-General

If posts are moved, staff will generally relocate with their post. Those unwilling may be replaced by volunteers

“The lack of clarity and rejection of union proposals is deeply frustrating and creates anxiety, as we told management,” the unions said.

In addition to the 20 per cent cuts, the initial phase of UN80 includes establishing common administrative platforms (CAPs) in Geneva and New York, with further rollout planned.

Unions sought clarity on how retention orders for administrative posts across various duty stations and funding streams would be managed but received no concrete answers.

The unions stressed that the General Assembly’s decision on the 2026 budget will be critical. They highlighted concerns about the UN80 initiative’s delivery impact, lack of vision, and perceived self-interest among task force members.

They also questioned how UN80 would address the liquidity crisis that triggered the reform in the first place.

These concerns were echoed by several member states during an informal General Assembly briefing last week. One state has even circulated a draft resolution proposing greater oversight of the process by member states.

Additionally, the unions noted that Guy Ryder has distanced himself from the earlier "UN80%" figure, saying the proposed 20 per cent cuts were merely suggestions for entity heads and not definitive. The Secretary-General, he added, would determine the final budget based on his priorities—but was unable to specify what those priorities were.

“Our engagement with member states hasn’t been without consequences. Management claimed at the SMC that unions had breached staff rules and reprimanded them for performing their advocacy role. For example, UNHCR management has attempted to intimidate its staff representative. We condemned this and reminded all that staff rules, standards of conduct, and General Assembly resolution 67/255 explicitly support such engagement,” the letter said.

“We will continue to update you and fight to roll back this harmful and pointless reform. The Secretary-General should be saving the UN. We believe Guy Ryder is doing the opposite.”