UN80 Initiative: UN Chief urges mandate reform to boost UN80 efficiency | United Nations
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres briefed Member States during an informal meeting of the General Assembly on the next phase of the UN80 Initiative, highlighting steps needed to streamline how the organization implements the thousands of mandates that guide its work.
“As we all know, these problems have grown worse. We must learn from what went wrong. We must do better. And I believe we can,” Guterres said today (Aug 01), referring to inefficiencies in the mandate system.
The briefing followed the circulation of a report on 31 July 2025, presenting findings from Workstream 2 of the UN80 Initiative, a Mandate Implementation Review, which examines the structures, processes, and services related to mandate creation, delivery, and review. The report does not assess the content or merit of any mandates themselves.
Launched in March 2025, the UN80 Initiative aims to enhance the United Nations’ efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness to global challenges in the lead-up to the Organization’s 80th anniversary. The initiative focuses on three reform tracks: internal efficiency, mandate implementation review, and structural and programmatic reforms.
Since 1946, the UN’s three main organs, the General Assembly, Security Council, and Economic and Social Council, along with their subsidiary bodies, have issued mandates through over 40,000 resolutions, decisions, and presidential statements. These mandates define the UN’s activities and hold the Secretariat accountable, yet their sheer volume and complexity have created a “vast – and often opaque” landscape, the Secretary-General said.
“There is no easy way to know what already exists, or what has been adopted across different bodies,” he warned. “The risks of duplication and overlap are clear.”
Guterres emphasized that mandates are the responsibility of Member States, “They are the expression of your will. And they are the sole property and responsibility of Member States. The vital task of creating, reviewing or retiring them lies with you – and you alone. Our role is to implement them – fully, faithfully, and efficiently.” He called for reforms that would include “fewer meetings, fewer reports,” and more tailored, transparent systems for monitoring and reporting on mandate implementation.
UN80 Initiative:
https://www.un.org/en/delegate/guterres-prioritizes-reform-un80-initiative-launch
Letter by the President of the General Assembly:
https://www.un.org/pga/79/2025/07/18/letter-from-the-president-of-the-general-assembly-on-the-briefing-on-the-report-of-the-secretary-general-on-the-un80-initiative/
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