A United Nations report, which was designed to identify ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs, has made a surprising discovery: its own reports are not being widely read.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres briefed member countries on Friday about the report, which was created by his UN80 reform taskforce. The taskforce reviewed how UN staff carry out the thousands of mandates given to them by various bodies, such as the General Assembly and the Security Council.
Guterres stated that last year, the UN system supported 27,000 meetings involving 240 different bodies and produced 1,100 reports, a 20% increase since 1990. He commented that “the sheer number of meetings and reports is pushing the system—and all of us—to the breaking point.”
The Secretary-General revealed that “many of these reports are not widely read.” He specified that “the top 5% of reports are downloaded over 5,500 times, while one in five reports receives fewer than 1,000 downloads. And downloading doesn’t necessarily mean reading.”
Guterres launched the UN80 taskforce in March as the UN—which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year—faces a liquidity crisis for the seventh consecutive year. This crisis is due to the fact that not all 193 member states pay their mandatory dues in full or on time. The report, issued by the taskforce on Thursday, is just one component of a broader reform effort. Among the suggestions Guterres put forward on Friday were “fewer meetings. Fewer reports, but ones that can fully meet the requirements of all mandates.”
