The United Nations is facing its worst financial crisis in decades. Compared to its 2023 peak, total UN spending has fallen by almost one-third.
While some countries have withheld much of their funding, others are paying late. And still others have reduced or postponed contributions. Against this backdrop, Secretary-General António Guterres has launched the UN80 reform initiative, an effort to streamline operations and review mandates at a time when the organization is struggling to keep the lights on.
In this conversation, Dan Banik speaks with Dr. Ronny Patz, an independent UN financing analyst and author of Managing Money and Discord in the UN, about what lies behind the current liquidity crunch and why reforming the UN is so politically fraught. They explore how money, mandates, and majorities rarely align; why a considerable amount of UN funding now comes through earmarked projects; and how donor mistrust, fragmentation, and “cutback management” are reshaping the very foundations of global governance.
The discussion moves beyond budgets to ask a larger question: Can the United Nations still fulfill its universal mission in a post-aid world?
Listeners will come away with a sharper understanding of how bureaucratic politics, donor behaviour, and global power shifts are redefining the future of multilateralism.
Resources:
- The UN80 Initiative
- UN faces deepening financial crisis, urges members to pay up
- Managing Money and Discord in the UN: Budgeting and Bureaucracy (OUP 2019)
- Ronny Patz on LinkedIn
- Visit ronny-patz.de
Host:
Centre for Global Sustainability, University of Oslo
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