UN admits its own reports are barely read

A new United Nations report aimed at boosting efficiency has exposed an awkward truth — many UN reports go largely unread.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres briefed countries on Friday on the report, produced by his UN80 reform taskforce that focused on how UN staff implement thousands of mandates given to them by bodies like the General Assembly or the Security Council.

He said last year that the UN system supported 27,000 meetings involving 240 bodies, and the UN 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 UN — which turns 80 this year — faces a liquidity crisis for at least the seventh year in a row because not all 193 UN member states pay their mandatory regular dues in full or on time.

The report issued by the task force 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 can fully meet the requirements of all mandates.”