https://www.reuters.com/world/un-report-finds-united-nations-reports-are-not-widely-read-2025-08-01/ Skip to main content Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionals Learn more aboutRefinitiv * World Browse World + Africa + Americas + Asia Pacific + China + Europe + India + Israel and Hamas at War + Japan + Middle East + Ukraine and Russia at War + United Kingdom + United States + Reuters NEXT * Business Browse Business + Aerospace & Defense + Autos & Transportation + Davos + Energy + Environment + Finance + Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals + Media & Telecom + Retail & Consumer + Future of Health + Future of Money + Take Five + World at Work * Markets Browse Markets + Asian Markets + Carbon Markets + Commodities + Currencies + Deals + Emerging Markets + ETFs + European Markets + Funds + Global Market Data + Rates & Bonds + Stocks + U.S. Markets + Wealth + Econ World * Sustainability Browse Sustainability + Boards, Policy & Regulation + Climate & Energy + Land Use & Biodiversity + Society & Equity + Sustainable Finance & Reporting + The Switch + Reuters Impact + COP29 * Legal Browse Legal + Government + Legal Industry + Litigation + Transactional + US Supreme Court * Commentary Browse Commentary + Breakingviews + ROI: Reuters Open Interest * Technology Browse Technology + Artificial Intelligence + Cybersecurity + Space + Disrupted * Investigations * More Sports + Athletics + Baseball + Basketball + Cricket + Cycling + Formula 1 + Golf + NFL + NHL + Soccer + Tennis ScienceLifestyleCity MemoGraphicsPictures Wider ImagePodcasts + Reuters World News + Reuters Econ World + Viewsroom + The Big View LiveFact CheckVideoSponsored Content + Reuters Plus + Press Releases My News Register UN report finds United Nations reports are not widely read By Michelle Nichols August 1, 20256:18 PM UTCUpdated August 1, 2025 * * * * * * * * UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attends a press briefing during the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) at the Centre des Expositions conference centre in Nice, France, June 10, 2025. REUTERS /Manon Cruz/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab UNITED NATIONS, Aug 1 (Reuters) - A United Nations report seeking ways to improve efficiency and cut costs has revealed: U.N. reports are not widely read. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres briefed countries on Friday on the report, produced by his UN80 reform that focused on how U.N. staff implement thousands of mandates given to them by bodies like the General Assembly or Security Council. Sign up here. He said last year that the U.N. system supported 27,000 meetings involving 240 bodies, and the U.N. secretariat produced 1,100 reports, a 20% increase since 1990. "The sheer number of meetings and reports is pushing the system - and all of us - to the breaking point," Guterres said. "Many of these reports are not widely read," he said. "The top 5% of reports are downloaded over 5,500 times, while one in five reports receives fewer than 1,000 downloads. And downloading doesn't necessarily mean reading." Guterres launched the UN80 taskforce in March as the U.N. - which turns 80 this year - faces a liquidity crisis for at least the seventh year in a row because not all 193 U.N. member states pay their mandatory regular dues in full or on time. The report issued by the taskforce late on Thursday covers just one of several reform angles being pursued. Among the suggestions Guterres put forward on Friday: "Fewer meetings. Fewer reports, but ones that are able to fully meet the requirements of all mandates." (This story has been corrected to clarify that not all countries pay in full or on time, in paragraph 6) Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Diane Craft Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * World * * * * * Purchase Licensing Rights Read Next * Reuters logo United StatescategoryReward of $7,500 posted for man wanted on suspicion of shooting 4 dead in Montana bar 10:24 PM UTC * Aftermath of an overnight Israeli strike on an UNRWA school that was sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis Middle EastcategoryHamas says it will allow aid for hostages if Israel halts airstrikes, opens permanent humanitarian corridors 8:21 PM UTC * A drone view shows the entrance to Codelco's El Teniente copper mining complex, in Maitenes AmericascategoryAll five trapped workers at Chile's Codelco mine found dead 8:45 PM UTC * Jerusalem Day, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Jerusalem Middle EastcategoryIsrael's Ben-Gvir says he prayed at Al-Aqsa mosque compound 5:02 PM UTC LSEG Workspace World * Reuters logo Reward of $7,500 posted for man wanted on suspicion of shooting 4 dead in Montana bar United Statescategory * August 3, 2025 * 10:24 PM UTC * ago The U.S. Marshals Service on Sunday posted a $7,500 reward for any information leading to the capture of the man accused of shooting four people dead in a Montana bar before he vanished, sparking a search for the suspect in the nearby mountains. * Reuters logo WorldcategoryRussian attack kills three in Zaporizhzhia region, governor says 9:30 PM UTC * Participants of the BRICS Summit attend a concert in Kazan IndiacategoryTop Trump aide accuses India of financing Russia's war in Ukraine 9:00 PM UTC * A drone view shows the entrance to Codelco's El Teniente copper mining complex, in Maitenes AmericascategoryAll five trapped workers at Chile's Codelco mine found dead 8:45 PM UTC * Aftermath of an overnight Israeli strike on an UNRWA school that was sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis Middle EastcategoryHamas says it will allow aid for hostages if Israel halts airstrikes, opens permanent humanitarian corridors 8:21 PM UTC Site Index Browse * World * Business * Markets * Sustainability * Legal * Breakingviews * Technology * Investigations * Sports * Science * Lifestyle About Reuters * About Reuters, opens new tab * Advertise with Us, opens new tab * Careers, opens new tab * Reuters News Agency, opens new tab * Brand Attribution Guidelines, opens new tab * Reuters and AI, opens new tab * Reuters Leadership, opens new tab * Reuters Fact Check * Reuters Diversity Report, opens new tab * Commercial Disclosure (Japan), opens new tab Stay Informed * Download the App (iOS), opens new tab * Download the App (Android), opens new tab * Newsletters * Subscribe Information you can trust Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world's largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. 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