At its 80th anniversary, the United Nations faces one of the most severe financial challenges in its history. In January 2026, Secretary-General António Guterres warned Member States that the organization is on an “untenable” trajectory and at risk of “imminent financial collapse,” citing record levels of unpaid contributions and structural constraints within the current funding system. The UN’s liquidity crisis is unfolding alongside a sharp contraction in Official Development Assistance (ODA), with preliminary data indicating the largest annual decline on record.
This financial strain forms the backdrop to the UN80 reform process, which is taking place amid expectations of significant system-wide contraction and ongoing efforts to prioritize mandates and improve efficiencies. Yet the challenge is not only financial but also structural: how the UN is funded shapes its capacity to act, the distribution of resources across mandates, and the ability of Member States to participate meaningfully in global governance.
Against this context, this discussion paper explores the strategic question of how and from where additional funding can realistically be mobilized. Drawing on longstanding practices across international organizations, it examines a range of alternative funding models, including revenue-generating services, pooled funds, taxes and levies, institutional bonds, and in-kind contributions. Through short case studies, the paper highlights how these mechanisms have emerged, where they have succeeded or faced limitations and what lessons they may offer for the UN system.
The paper concludes with recommendations for UN institutions, Member States, civil society and other stakeholders on how to explore alternative funding strategies in ways that are both politically and institutionally feasible. In an era of constrained public budgets and growing global demands, innovation in institutional finance will be critical to sustaining UN mandates while preserving legitimacy and effectiveness in addressing twenty-first century global challenges.
Access "Moving from Crisis Management to Resource Mobilization in the UN80 Process" here.