United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has directed staff to slash budgets ahead of the 2026 budgetary vote as part of a wider reform effort through his UN80 Initiative. 

Much of the belt-tightening comes at a time when the Trump administration has looked to save money with the help of DOGE. In March, Guterres warned about cuts to U.S. spending at the U.N., stating that “going through with recent funding cuts will make the world less healthy, less safe, and less prosperous.” The U.S., as the top funder to the world body, has given billions over the last few years, while paying around a third of its budget.

However, organizational belt-tightening does not appear to have hit senior-level U.N. staff. 

“The American people don’t even see this,” a diplomatic source told Fox News Digital. “These people that are appointed to care for the poor of the world, get better perks than any investment banks out there.”

In response to questions about Fox News Digital’s source’s statements about U.N. employee compensation being on par with that of an investment banker, Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the assertion was “ludicrous” and “demonstrates an ignorance of both the United Nations and the investment banking worlds.”