UN reform plans put oversight under scrutiny at budget committee

Delegates on the UN General Assembly’s Fifth Committee called for close oversight of the UN80 reform initiative at a meeting on 6 October 2026. The initiative aims to make the organisation more agile while spending less, but representatives raised questions about the risks of changing its structures and resources. [1]

Switzerland’s representative, speaking also for Liechtenstein, said UN80-related changes could affect governance, internal controls and programme delivery. He said resources available for internal audit were 14% below the planned level. Uruguay’s representative, speaking for the Group of 77 and China, said the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) had incorporated UN80 risks into its assignments and called for an assessment of how cuts and organisational changes affect the UN’s work. [1]

For the 12 months ending 30 June 2026, OIOS reported issuing 308 oversight reports on non-peace operations, containing 543 recommendations. [1]