UNITED NATIONS, New York, Oct 13 – Following are UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ remarks to the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), in New York today:
I welcome this opportunity to introduce the proposed programme budget for 2022. The context for this presentation remains a world upended by the COVID‑19 pandemic. The pandemic has revealed fractures in our societies, inadequate health care, gaps in social protection, structural inequalities and massive shortcomings in financing and global solidarity.
But times of crisis can also bring out the best — and show what is possible when we work together. Around the world — and thanks to your support and engagement — the United Nations has stayed and delivered.
We helped the world respond to the immediate effects of the pandemic, from the health response to its devastating socioeconomic impacts. We delivered medical, food and humanitarian supplies, provided electoral assistance, undertook mediation efforts and led and supported peace talks.
We called for a global ceasefire, and appealed for action to address the alarming rise in domestic violence that has accompanied the pandemic. We protected and spoke up in defence of the human rights of the most vulnerable and marginalized.
We did all of this complex and wide‑ranging work while navigating a serious liquidity crisis. And throughout, our reforms remained on course. We are well into the third year of implementation and the benefits are visible.
The COVID‑19 pandemic was an early test of our reforms, which enabled us to adjust our business operations and respond quickly to the needs of countries. Unlike in past emergencies, the Secretariat did not need to create new structures to manage the response. The new reform structures in development, peace and security, and management already in place facilitated a unified and agile response to the pandemic, saving time and money.
In a matter of months, United Nations country teams rolled out 121 socioeconomic response plans covering 139 countries and territories. More than $3 billion was repurposed, and an additional $2 billion was mobilized, to prioritize immediate support.
According to independent surveys, over 90 per cent of Governments in developing countries agree that Resident Coordinators helped ensure a coherent United Nations response to the pandemic.
And our ongoing reforms are yielding results. Ninety‑one per cent of host Governments indicated that the United Nations today is more relevant to their country’s development needs when compared to three years ago. Ninety‑two per cent felt that the new cooperation frameworks have enabled them to address effectively and respond to national priorities. And more than 80 per cent of Governments confirmed we were successful in targeting at‑risk groups, those most hurt by this crisis.
The Resident Coordinators are now drawing on assets across the three pillars to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The peace and security reforms have allowed us to begin implementing comprehensive regional strategies, leading to greater harmonization of action with regional and subregional organizations and other stakeholders. There is now a single point of contact for peacekeeping and special political missions operating in the same region, with distinct but complementary mandates. A strengthened Peacebuilding Support Office now serves as a dedicated “hinge” with the development pillar.
Management reform has brought substantial changes in structures, accountability, delegation and internal operations. These have been critical to sustain business continuity during the pandemic.
The reforms enabled us to quickly adjust policies and procedures to accommodate the new realities on the ground; at the same time, we had dedicated capacities that could focus on key areas of concern, such as health and supply chain management.
The new division of labour between strategic and policy functions and operational functions has proven especially useful. Dedicated resources for policy were quickly able to adjust frameworks for new remote working arrangements and other policies, while the Department of Operational Support was able to provide dedicated service to all entities in the United Nations Secretariat.
In human resources, affected policy and guidance were revised and published quickly in consultation with key stakeholders to adjust to the situation on the ground. Additionally, the Department of Operational Support created a dedicated way to respond to urgent COVID‑19 queries in less than one business day.
A system-wide medevac system was established and managed by the Secretariat. And we rolled out a programme to vaccinate personnel in countries where the local health systems could not provide vaccines to our personnel. This ensured that the United Nations system was able to support countries and communities with their response efforts to the pandemic. This unprecedented operational collaboration with the wider system was made possible by our reforms.
The end-to-end supply chain structures enabled the Secretariat to act more nimbly. Emergency procurement procedures were activated. Personal protective equipment and medical equipment were successfully sourced and supplied to duty stations in need. Decentralized procurement authority was raised to allow for more local procurement of critical goods and services. The enhanced delegations of authority have provided critically needed operational responsiveness and flexibility on the ground.
Meanwhile, a unified information technology structure allowed us to jointly utilize corporate tools for communications and remote working arrangements. Our main communication tools are now also accessible system‑wide, allowing us to coordinate our response efforts with the funds, programmes and specialized agencies.
We have also continued to strengthen our internal control framework. I signed the Secretariat’s first Statement of Internal Control earlier this year, marking an important milestone towards achieving greater accountability. The Statement provides assurance to Member States that Secretariat‑wide mandated activities are being implemented effectively and efficiently; that financial reporting is reliable and compliant with International Public Sector Accounting Standards; and that regulations, rules and procedures adhere to the regulatory framework.
More work on our reforms remains, and we will increase our efforts to improve effectiveness and better support Member States. But one year on, I am proud that our reforms have allowed us not only to respond quickly and effectively to the challenges of an unprecedented global pandemic, but also enabled us to survive one of the worst financial crises in more than a decade.
The programme budget I am presenting today is the third since Member States approved, on a trial basis, the biggest change in our planning and budgeting processes in decades. The move from a biennial programme budget to an annual exercise is a major step towards more realistic budgeting and a greater focus on results.
It has improved the accuracy of our resource estimates, enabled us to adapt more quickly to changes in mandates and allowed us to adjust our planning based on actual programme performance, thereby improving mandate delivery and accountability for results.
The annual cycle also provides Member States with an opportunity to give more frequent direction on resource allocations for the Organization, and to align those decisions with recent or sudden events, such as the global pandemic.
We are now able to adjust our programme planning and incorporate lessons from the response to the pandemic into the budget for 2022. If we still lived with biennial budgets, such steps would have had to wait until 2024‑2025.
Last year, I indicated that this reform would be an ongoing process, and that I looked forward to receiving your guidance on any areas that we can improve further. The document before you reflects that guidance. One such improvement is the inclusion of more than 1,000 examples of the benefits that the United Nations helps to bring about through its global operations.
While change always poses challenges, positive signals continue to be received from all stakeholders. Both of your advisory committees have shifted their attention away from the presentation format of the budgets, hence allowing more focus on resource and programmatic discussions. I am encouraged by the positive reactions and the momentum the annual budget is generating towards a more results‑oriented culture.
As part of this new culture, more than 1,000 programme managers continue to engage in the formulation of planning and budget proposals, assessing their work and performance. In Part A of the document, we are now reporting on the performance of our programmes in 2020. In instances where our performance fell short, we make adjustments to ensure better results in 2022, not 2024‑2025.
The annual programme budget includes a multi‑year account of measurable results. This year’s budget includes measurable planned results for 2021 and 2022, and measurable actual results in 2018, 2019 and 2020 for each of the 350 result frameworks. This offers a comprehensive picture of our programme delivery over the past three years.
The Secretariat’s self‑evaluation policy took effect this year. Every department and office are now required to undertake at least one evaluation a year and report the results through the budget process. The Office of Internal Oversight Services and the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance are collaborating on providing training and support to all programme managers and evaluation focal points. These efforts will instil a culture of learning whereby programme managers will continuously assess performance to improve on programme delivery.
Two years ago, when I introduced the 2020 budget, you requested me to provide greater access to electronic information on the budget. I am happy to report that we have now provided two sets of electronic information.
First, the “results.un.org” portal provides information on the programmatic results. You can filter those results not only by programme and subprogramme, but also by type of result and geographical location, with hyperlinks to the document for more detailed information.
Second, the Umoja Budget Information Pilot provides detailed resource information to the Committee, including monthly updates of expenditures and liquidity ratios.
Working closely with you, we will continue to improve access to information as part of my efforts to increase transparency in the Organization.
Let me turn now to Part B of the proposed programme budget: post and non‑post resource requirements for 2022. The presentation format for this part has taken on board previous recommendations made by the Advisory Committee.
To fully implement the mandates entrusted to us, we will require a total of $3.12 billion before recosting, which represents a net reduction of 2.8 per cent compared to 2021, despite additional activities and mandates. This includes a total of 10,005 posts, or a net increase of 46 posts.
I would like to highlight four key drivers:
First, strengthening the development pillar. The proposals include an increase of $2.8 million for development, including for our programmes in support of Africa’s development and landlocked countries and small island developing States. I am again seeking an increase in the level of the Regular Programme for Technical Cooperation to support capacity development in Member States. This will be the third increase during my tenure.
Second, strengthening support for human rights. The proposal includes the conversion of 16 general temporary positions into professional posts, and $4.4 million to implement resolutions and decisions of the Human Rights Council.
Third, supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the face of its chronic funding gap. We are proposing an increase of $6.1 million, including 43 additional posts to support education, health care and general assistance to Palestine refugees.
Fourth, investing in infrastructure and resilience. The budget proposal includes $6.3 million for upgrading the ageing security infrastructure of our premises, as well as adapting our security posture to emerging threats and improving accessibility.
While further new legislative mandates may emerge in the coming months, at this stage estimates amounting to approximately $37 million in response to new resolutions from the General Assembly, Economic and Social Council and the Human Rights Council are expected.
Another $22 million may be needed for recently expanded Security Council mandates of special political missions in Colombia and Sudan, followed by yet to be determined additional requirements for the mission in Libya.
Approximately $95 million is required for construction, including $69 million for the Strategic Heritage Plan in Geneva. Subvention requests for the courts of Cambodia, Sierra Leone and Lebanon are expected to amount to approximately $19 million.
The budget proposals were constructed on the assumption that the trajectory of the pandemic response, and the development and deployment of vaccines, would allow a return to normalcy, albeit a new normal, in 2022. Recent surges in COVID‑19 cases and multiple waves of differing intensity around the world suggest a need to remain flexible with our plans and delivery modalities. I am confident in our ability to continue to adapt to the changes that we may face.
Indeed, the Organization responded quickly and well to the sudden onset of the pandemic, even as we reached – hopefully – the peak of a financial liquidity crisis, with yet another record for arrears in contributions, exacerbated by increasing fluctuations in payment patterns.
Only through exercising careful control over our fiscal expenditure were we able to minimize the inevitable negative impact on programme delivery. Our cash management efforts also allowed us to adjust our expenditure to undertake life‑saving medical evacuations and procure and distribute core medical supplies and equipment. This allowed United Nations personnel to stay and deliver across the world.
The year 2021 started poorly, with collections in the first quarter trailing estimates by nearly $199 million, added to the $808 million in arrears with which we started the year. We responded to this emerging crisis less drastically than last year, primarily due to assurances from many Member States about their plans to pay their contributions. We saw indeed a record collection in April of $1 billion, bringing the total for the year to 76 per cent of the year’s assessment. This is also a record for early collection.
However, this should not lull us into complacency. The overall total masks numerous fluctuations in collections each month, pointing to the challenges of planning budget implementation with such uncertainties.
Our fair-weather regulatory framework leaves much to be desired, and it is my hope that Member States will see the need for full and predictable funding so that we can focus on the delivery of our mandates guided by the budgets and not by cash on hand.
The recent more positive indications have allowed us to lift most of the temporary cash‑management measures. I have asked senior managers to ensure that they advance gender parity and strive for more equitable geographical representation when they fill vacant posts. While we have reached gender parity in senior management two years ahead of our target, we have to increase efforts across the rest of the Secretariat.
Similarly, we have to increase efforts to recruit more from unrepresented and underrepresented countries for geographical posts, and from a wider geographical base for the rest of the posts. Our staff have to better reflect the international character, I would say the universal character, of our Organization.
I look forward to your support for my budget proposals for 2022, as we prepare to better serve the world in its new year of need.
I am available to answer your questions, and my senior managers will continue their interactions with you as you deliberate on these proposals.
5月2日华盛顿报道，美国总统特朗普总统今天表示，他正在审阅伊朗提交的一份新的14点和平协议。特朗普总统今天在佛罗里达州棕榈滩国际机场停机坪正准备登上“空军一号”，启程前往该州的多拉尔（Doral）时表示：“我还没看到它，我正在这里审阅它，稍后我会向你们通报相关情况……他们已经向我简述了这份协议的构想。他们现在正要把确切的文本内容交给我。” 今天早些时候，伊朗官方媒体塔斯尼姆通讯社（Tasnim News）报道称，伊朗已向美国递交了一份包含14项内容的和平协议提案。 随后，特朗普总统在社交媒体平台“真实社交”（Truth Social）上发帖写道：“很快就会审阅伊朗刚刚发给我们的这份方案，但我很难想象它会是可接受的；毕竟，对于他们在过去47年里对全人类及整个世界所犯下的行径，他们尚未付出足够沉重的代价。” 白宫今天证实，曾担任说客并在特朗普总统首个任期内供职于美国国务院的斯图尔特（Nick Stewart），已加入致力于结束与伊朗战争的外交团队。 白宫表示：“斯图尔特是一位敏锐且经验丰富的政策专家，他是特使威特科夫（Steve Witkoff）那支才华横溢的团队的一笔宝贵资产。” 此前，特朗普总统向美国国会领袖表示，与伊朗之间的“敌对行动”已经“终结”；他此举旨在回应一项关键的60天期限要求。该期限源自一项实施数十年的法律，旨在限制未经美国国会授权使用军事力量的行为。
5月2日华盛顿报道，广泛使用的堕胎药米非司酮（mifepristone）的一家制药商请求最高法院，叫停上诉法院仅在一天前做出的一项裁决；该裁决切断了通过邮寄方式获取该药物的途径，这是自“罗诉韦德案”（Roe v. Wade）被推翻以来，美国堕胎政策领域遭受的最大一次震荡。 作为涉案诉讼的被告之一，制药商丹科实验室（Danco Laboratories）请求在相关上诉程序进行期间，暂缓执行位于新奥尔良的美国联邦第五巡回上诉法院所做出的裁决。该公司指出，上诉法院的这项裁决“给那些具有高度时效性的医疗决策注入了即时的混乱与动荡”。 上诉法院4月30日做出的这项一致裁决，对于那些试图遏制通过网络处方获取堕胎药的反对堕胎人士而言，标志着一次实质性的胜利；在他们看来，这种网络处方模式是在变相规避各州的堕胎禁令。该裁决强制规定，米非司酮必须仅限通过诊所进行面对面分发，从而推翻了此前由美国联邦食品药品监督管理局（FDA）制定的相关监管规定。 该裁决书中写道：“美国联邦食品药品监督管理局的举措所促成的每一例堕胎，都相当于抵消了路易斯安那州针对药物堕胎所设定的禁令，并破坏了该州所奉行的政策——即‘每一个未出生的胎儿自受精那一刻起即为人类，因此享有法律人格’。” 法官们在裁决书中进一步指出，现行的监管规定“为外州的处方医生提供了一条行之有效的途径，使其能够将该药物交付给路易斯安那州的居民，从而公然违背路易斯安那州的法律规定”。 长期以来，法官们在涉及药物安全性及恰当监管的问题上，通常都会尊重并采信美国联邦食品药品监督管理局所做出的专业判断。 在特朗普总统任期内，美国联邦食品药品监督管理局的官员们曾多次公开表示，根据特朗普总统的指示，该机构正在对米非司酮的安全性进行新一轮的审查评估。 法官在裁决书中指出，美国联邦食品药品监督管理局“无法确定该项审查何时能够完成，并承认目前仍在收集相关数据。” 在一份提交给法庭的文件中，路易斯安那州总检察长以及一名自称曾被迫服用堕胎药的女性请求法院，将美国联邦食品药品监督管理局的相关规定恢复至此前的状态，即仅允许通过面对面方式开具并分发堕胎药。 上个月，一名常驻路易斯安那州的联邦法官裁定，上述放宽措施削弱了该州的堕胎禁令；但他并未下令立即废除这些法规。 自2022年最高法院作出裁决、推翻“罗诉韦德案”（Roe v.…
5月2日华盛顿报道，据美国国家公路交通安全管理局（NHTSA）通报，福特汽车公司正因前排座椅存在隐患而召回超过17.9万辆汽车，该隐患可能在发生碰撞事故时增加驾乘人员受伤的风险。 福特汽车此次召回涉及117443辆2024至2026款福特 Bronco SUV，以及62255辆2024至2026款福特 Ranger 皮卡。该公司正因前排座椅存在隐患而召回的超过17.9万辆汽车隐患，可能在发生碰撞事故时增加驾乘人员受伤的风险。 该通报介绍，受影响车辆的前排座椅装配了用于调节高度的枢轴连杆螺栓，这些螺栓可能会发生松动，甚至从枢轴接头处脱落。 该通报表示，受影响车辆的车主将收到邮寄通知，并被指引将车辆送往福特或林肯授权经销商处进行螺栓检查。凡未通过检查的螺栓，均将获得免费更换。 据美国国家公路交通安全管理局透露，福特预计将于5月11日至5月15日期间，寄出关于此次安全隐患的首批通知信。随后，预计将于7月13日至7月17日期间寄出第二批通知信，告知车主具体的维修方案现已就绪。 美国国家公路交通安全管理局还指出，这家总部位于密歇根州的汽车制造商上个月曾因换挡机构存在隐患而召回了近140万辆 F-150 皮卡，该隐患同样可能增加发生碰撞事故的风险。
5月2日佛州米拉马尔市报道，美国低成本航空公司精神航空（Spirit Airlines）今天清晨宣布，由于未能获得5亿美元的联邦救助资金，该公司将停止运营。 精神航空公司的母公司精神航空控股（Spirit Aviation Holdings）在一份新闻稿中表示，该公司“遗憾地宣布”，已“启动有序的业务清盘程序，即刻生效”。该航空公司称：“精神航空的所有航班均已取消，乘客请勿前往机场。” 总部位于佛罗里达州米拉马尔的精神航空公司自2024年以来已两次申请破产，近期又因美伊战争导致航空燃油成本飙升，面临极其沉重的压力。此前就曾有报道称，该公司计划最早于今天停业。 根据特朗普政府此前提出的救助方案，美国政府将获得精神航空公司90%的股权。据多位知情人士透露，随着与特朗普政府的谈判破裂，该公司的现金储备在近几日已迅速枯竭。 据美国官员此前透露，精神航空的部分债券持有人，其中包括格里芬（Ken Griffin）旗下的跨国对冲基金和金融服务公司城堡投资（Citadel）和另类资产管理公司阿瑞斯（Ares）曾对政府的救助协议表示反对。 受能源价格上涨影响，美国航空业面临成本上升的压力，这促使各航空公司纷纷上调票价并削减无利可图的航线。 截至精神航空公司于 2024年 11月首次提交破产申请时，该公司自2020年初以来已累计亏损超过25亿美元。根据该公司最新的年度报告显示，2025年，该公司裁减了近4000个职位并取消了200条表现不佳的航线；截至2025年底，该公司员工总数约为7500 人，其中包括2000名飞行员和3000名空乘人员。 2025年8月，精神航空公司再次提交破产申请，并在提交给监管机构的文件中披露，该公司对其持续经营的能力存在“重大疑虑”。…
5月1日华盛顿报道，美国总统特朗普今天告知国会领导人，与伊朗之间的“敌对行动”已经“终结”。此举旨在回应一项关键的60天期限要求，该期限依据的一项法律旨在限制美国总统未经授权使用军事武力。 特朗普总统在分别致美国众议院议长、共和党众议员约翰逊（Mike Johnson）和美国参议院临时议长、共和党参议员格拉斯利（Chuck Grassley）的两封内容几乎相同的信函中写道：“自2026年4月7日以来，美国军队与伊朗之间未发生任何交火，始于2026年2月28日的敌对行动现已终结。” 美国宪法制定者赋予了美国国会宣战的权力。近两个半世纪后的今天，这项权力再次处于一场美国政治与宪法风暴的中心。 争议的焦点在于1973年的《战争权力决议案》(War Powers Resolution)，这是一部在越南战争结束后制定的法规，旨在制约美国总统的权力，并确保任何长期的军事介入都能获得美国国会的批准。然而，随着美国对伊朗的战争进入关键阶段，该法律的局限性，及其模糊之处正经受着现实的实时考验。 这场战争始于2月28日，当时美军协同以色列先发制人地对伊朗发动了大规模军事打击，从而引爆了一场更广泛的地区战争。伊朗随后对以色列和美军驻中东国家军事基地实施猛烈报复，以及封锁了霍尔木兹海峡，致使全球能源市场遭受严重冲击，而由共和党掌控的美国国会却迟迟不愿行使其宪法赋予的职权。 根据《战争权力决议案》的规定，美国总统虽可在未经事先授权的情况下发起军事行动，但必须在48小时内通报美国国会，且须在60天内终止敌对行动，除非美国国会批准延长该期限。这60天的倒计时始于3月2日特朗普总统向美国国会发出的通报，并于今天正式截止，这一时刻进一步加剧了美国内部的紧张局势。 越来越多的共和党议员表示，本届政府应开始逐步结束针对伊朗的军事行动。其中一些议员透露，他们正在起草立法，旨在授权特朗普政府对伊朗使用武力，从而彻底绕开关于《战争权力决议》的争论。 特朗普政府辩称，4月初促成的停火协议实际上已终结了激烈的敌对行动，因此也暂停了相关的法律倒计时。 美国战争部长赫格塞斯（Pete Hegseth）4月30日曾表示，此次停火叫停了美国国会授权期限所需的60天倒计时。 赫格塞斯在美国参议院军事委员会作证时说：“我们目前正处于停火状态，根据我们的理解，这意味着在停火期间，这60天的倒计时将暂停或停止。”…
5月1日德州斯普林报道，埃克森美孚（Exxon Mobil）首席执行官伍兹（Darren Woods）今天发出警告称，市场尚未完全消化由伊朗战争及霍尔木兹海峡关闭所引发的前所未有的石油供应中断的全部影响。 伍兹今天在埃克森美孚第一季度财报电话会议上向投资者表示，伊朗战争爆发的首月，大量满载原油的油轮正处于运输途中，这些油轮的存在在一定程度上缓解了此次供应中断的冲击。这位首席执行官还指出，战略石油储备已被动用，商业库存也已有所消耗。 伍兹表示，随着美伊冲突的持续，上述供应来源之一终将枯竭。他继而指出，若霍尔木兹海峡持续关闭，油价届时必将上涨。 伍兹说道：“显而易见，鉴于全球石油和天然气供应遭遇了前所未有的中断，市场目前尚未完全感受到其所带来的全部冲击。” 伍兹补充道：“如果霍尔木兹海峡继续关闭，后续的影响还将进一步显现。” 伊朗战争期间，石油期货交易行情剧烈震荡。油价往往因冲突升级的风险而飙升，随后又因和平曙光的出现而暴跌，如此循环往复。美国原油期货价格今天下跌逾3%，收报每桶101.38美元；而国际基准布伦特原油价格则下跌约2%，收报108美元。 伍兹指出，当前的价格水平与过去10年间的历史平均水平更为吻合，而非与中东地区此次供应中断的严重程度相匹配。 伍兹预计，在霍尔木兹海峡重新开放后的一两个月内，来自波斯湾的石油流转将恢复正常，这需要时间来重新调配油轮、消化积压的供应，且船只抵达目的地也需要一定的时间。 伍兹指出，如果美伊冲突结束时战略储备和商业库存已告枯竭，各国政府及业界将需要着手补充这些库存，此举将为市场带来更多需求，并对油价构成上行压力。 埃克森美孚今天发出预警称，若霍尔木兹海峡关闭状态持续至今年第二季度结束，其在中东地区的日产量将较2025年的水平减少75万桶。同时，其向全球各地炼油厂输送的原油量也将较2025年第四季度的水平下降3%。 伍兹今天透露，埃克森美孚约15%的总产量已受到此次霍尔木兹海峡关闭事件的影响。 根据埃克森美孚4月初向美国证券交易委员会（SEC）提交的一份备案文件显示，伊朗针对卡塔尔液化天然气（LNG）出口枢纽发动的袭击，导致两条生产线受损，而埃克森美孚在这两条生产线中均拥有权益。这两条生产线的产量约占埃克森美孚2025年上游总产量的3%。 今天午盘交易时段，埃克森美孚股价下跌约1%。尽管自伊朗战争爆发至4月30日收盘价为止，国际油价已飙升约57%，但在同一时期内，埃克森美孚的股价却基本持平。