New york: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday outlined four essential actions to keep development on track, warning that the UN system faces an unprecedented funding decline just 1,700 days before the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals deadline. “We began in 2017 with a clear objective,” Guterres told the ECOSOC Operational Activities for Development Segment. “The system was too fragmented when coherence was required. Too internally competitive when collaboration was essential.”

According to Anadolu Agency, recent surveys show 94% of governments now assess UN development support as effective. In 2025 alone, UN entities reported over $900 million in efficiency gains through streamlined services and supply chains. However, the secretary-general emphasized that despite being better equipped, the system is increasingly under-resourced.

Guterres called for deeper alignment with national priorities, noting that country teams do not always have the capacities needed. He mentioned that the UN is assessing potential mergers between UNDP and UNOPS, as well as UNFPA and UN Women, to enhance efficiency. His second action point involves the UN80 reform initiative, which aims to channel more resources toward development results through joint knowledge hubs and a unified service roadmap.

Further, he urged for stable core funding, revealing that the Resident Coordinator system faced a $46 million shortfall in 2025. Guterres appealed to member states to meet the 30% core funding target. Lastly, he called on countries to reprioritize spending, emphasizing the need to invest more in peace and development rather than military expenditures. He also renewed his call for meaningful debt relief.