A new internal report has revealed that most UN documents are rarely read, raising concerns about the organisation’s efficiency and resource use.
The report was presented by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday during a meeting with member states. It was prepared by the UN80 taskforce, a group formed to review UN operations ahead of the organisation’s 80th anniversary.
According to the report, the UN held 27,000 meetings in the past year across 240 bodies. During the same period, over 1,100 reports were produced—a 20% increase since 1990. Despite this growth, only a small number of documents attract attention.
Guterres explained that just 5% of the reports are downloaded more than 5,500 times. Meanwhile, one in five reports is downloaded fewer than 1,000 times. He stressed that downloads do not necessarily mean the documents are actually read.
The Secretary-General warned that the large number of meetings and reports is putting the UN under serious strain. He said both human and financial resources are being pushed to the limit.
Guterres proposed cutting down on unnecessary meetings and focusing on reports that are clear, concise, and aligned with the organisation’s core goals. “We need fewer meetings and fewer reports, but ones that deliver real impact,” he said.
This report comes at a time when the UN is facing a financial crisis. Many member states have failed to pay their contributions on time, creating budget challenges for the seventh year in a row.
The UN80 taskforce findings are part of wider reform efforts. These reforms aim to make the UN more effective, especially as it prepares for the upcoming Summit of the Future.
Guterres is expected to announce additional proposals later this year to improve the UN’s performance and global impact.
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