UN80 has been criticized for lacking a vision. Yet the process has highlighted a deeper shift from the #UN as a normative body to one with delivery at its core. Thibault Camelli explores the tensions this creates for member state engagement, as the IAWG drops its interim report..

At last week’s #UN budget presentation, cuts to the #development pillar sparked controversy. Confusion over #ACABQ calculations led to a promised corrigendum. While 2026 may protect development, the longer funding trend tells another story… 📩 Sign up for more ReformWorks insights: buff.ly/HktOS3O

Last week’s #CDR had great insights on leadership skills - yet little on context. Funding flows, shifting priorities, & public perceptions all should have shaped how UN leaders applied those skills and mitigated this crisis, e.g. UN 💵 buff.ly/Aqsg3HC Aid🗣️ buff.ly/pplic2Y 🌐 Norms: buff.ly/uVy8KZi

Guy Ryder briefs #UN member states this Friday, 21 Nov on the #UN80 Action Plan—focused on how to reform, not just what, and a shift from past #UNreforms. But key gaps remain: 🔹 Governance body approvals 🔹 UN staff engagement 📘 Read why these matter—and what else to raise:

The SG just quietly dropped the UN80 Action Plan. Will it lead to real reform? This month’s ReformWorks spotlight breaks it down: what’s strong, what’s missing, and what research on past reforms tells us. 👉 See how the Plan measures up

Think the UN's #FifthCommittee is just admin? Think again. ISHR’s new study shows how budget politics shape real impact in the #UN system. buff.ly/vKEFo19 Follow ReformWorks to stay up to date on these challenges and how to manage them.

When is the consolidation of #UN administrative services an effective reform? At ReformWorks, we've checked out the evidence.... www.reformworks.org/post/will-sh...

🇩🇪 AfD calls for more #transparency in Germany’s contributions to int'l orgs. But Germany already has an aid portal—and the 🇺🇳 UNCEB tracks donor funding by year. So why the disconnect? Our spotlight explores how foreign ministries and int'l orgs must rethink comms. buff.ly/J8B2Hu9 #UNReform

🧭 As the #UNGA’s #FifthCommittee kicks into high gear, I'm resharing the popular ReformWorks Quick Guide for UN managers on how to engage effectively. 📌 If you’re presenting or responding to written questions for the first time, this Guide is your go-to resource.

This morning on @cnn.com with @camanpour.bsky.social, I said: The world would in no way be better off without the UN. And I stand by that. Because we truly are #BetterTogether #UN80 www.cnn.com/2025/09/18/T...

The #UN’s revised budget for 2026 leans hard on #sharedservices to fix its financial crisis. But will these #UN80 efficiencies really work? ReformWorks looks at what worked before—and what’s missing now.

✨ On Monday, I discussed the risks & opportunities of #innovation in intergovernmental organizations at the #COE. Participants validated what research on #UN innovation has shown - process innovations offer a low risk, high benefit starting point, aligned with member states’ push for efficiency.

⌛ Just days left to share your views on power dynamics in the #UN #development system! @Cepei and partners are studying how influence and power works to inform #UN80 reforms for more transparent & inclusive decision‑making. Please take the survey by this Friday 3 Oct! 👉

The UK PM wants to revisit how #InternationalLaw is interpreted. Meanwhile, the US—after warning drug smugglers it would “blow you out of existence”—wants an American to lead #UNODC. Are these challenges to global norms something to resist—or a normal evolution to be engaged with?

🙏 To all who have followed our research spotlights - how can we better provide you the research you need in a more user-friendly way? We appreciate your interest in ReformWorks, and want to keep you coming. Please take a minute to fill out our very short (4 question) survey. lnkd.in/g5hh4cti

📈 ReformWorks is growing—5,370+ new visitors this year alone. #UN staff and #diplomats are clearly seeking evidence-based tools for meaningful reform. Help us deliver them to you even better. Take 1 minute to shape how we share insights that support your work: 👉 buff.ly/TsLA0JQ #Multilateralism

This week, the #UN80 working group kicked off its work on mandate reform. If a mandate is agreed, but without new resources—is that a real consensus? Here’s what else member states should unpack. 👇

Transparency reforms have shown they can increase support for international #aid - but clearly that's not working for the #UN. Our round up of the research shows: 👉 Why audience targeting matters more than volume of data 🤔 How tailored #transparency can shift even skeptical views

Struggling to keep up with #UN80 reforms and what the real issues are versus the rhetoric? Subscribe to the ReformWorks newsletter and stay informed!👇 buff.ly/eq96RwV

Aid #transparency portals were meant to build trust in international institutions and the work they do. And yet their funding has been cut like never before. What went wrong? ReformWorks explores the research on making transparency effective in #UN80 reforms. 🔗

Mandate complexity = increased risk of inefficiency. That was the key message of the #UN80 team at an informal discussion they hosted on the Mandate Implementation Review today. Now the new 🇯🇲 & 🇳🇿‑led working group needs to untangle the complexity by March. Here are 3 ideas how. buff.ly/I4dRVPl

As #UNICEF’s Exec Board sits this week it will learn that 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇧🇪 still lead as top suppliers, as per the 2024 Annual Supply report . Belgium calls this proof of strategic value in #foreignaid. As aid grows more transactional, we revisit whether this is also a symptom of exclusion. buff.ly/NfmvbAO

UN Mandates are now 4x more likely to be adopted without new funding than in 2000. If states won’t pay for what they approve, is it still relevant? 🤔 We unpack this quiet shift—and offer 2 more concrete criteria for #UN mandate reform. 🔗 buff.ly/Hrz5ngu

📘 The SG's new #UN80 Mandate Implementation Review analyzes how mandates evolve—but still sidesteps one critical question: what makes a mandate effective or efficient? In our latest spotlight, we propose 3 clear criteria using the reports' insights & data.

🧩 Recent efforts by #UN80 to engage member states contrast sharply with a staff union vote of no confidence last week. This highlights tensions between #leadership styles required for two very distinct but important stakeholder groups in international organizations, as we explain. buff.ly/BSZPrQz

The UN’s financial crisis masks a deeper disruption—the contestation of core int'l norms. Our latest contributor argues this does not necessarily signal collapse, but evolution of norms. His #UN experience offers concrete ways to support constructive #change at all levels. 🤔

😱 The UN’s Fifth Committee faces major pressure this fall: a third try to solve the liquidity crisis while tackling a revised 2026 budget. “Bureaucracy,” is not the problem here, but rather the tool that facilitates necessary, difficult political decisions. 👉 www.reformworks.org/post/why-bur...

😱 The UN’s Fifth Committee faces major pressure this fall: a third try to solve the liquidity crisis while tackling a revised 2026 budget. “Bureaucracy,” is not the problem here, but rather the tool that facilitates necessary, difficult political decisions. 👉 www.reformworks.org/post/why-bur...

🔍 UN reform is full of trade-offs—but what are they? We’re building ReformNavigator, an AI tool that surfaces lessons from past reforms in real time. Help us test the prototype—join our campaign and grab an Influencer or Early Adopter perk on Indiegogo: www.indiegogo.com/projects/ref...

Want to stay up to date on UN80? The ReformWorks newsletter curates media, spotlights research and has governance updates: buff.ly/xSn0SCg Subscribe and get it in your inbox: bit.ly/3PNGdTg

ReformNavigator Development is ON! Thanks to our amazing investors! We are now seeking #UNreform #changeagents to join our dedicated user-testing community. If you can spare ~1hr/week in July-Aug. join our Indiegogo campaign (Influencer/Early Adopter): bit.ly/45p6Kjl DM me, if you'd like more info!

Really pleased to have contributed to IPI’s great series on #UN80 reforms with a positive perspective on how to manage cost-cutting with a view to improving inclusion at the UN.

UN80 reforms are unfolding amid aid cuts and unpaid commitments, largely by the US. Many member states reject top-down reforms imposed by a few—a challenge for the SG. It's not new challenge for #UN #leadership, but requires a very different approach than in the private sector. 👉

ReformNavigator: An Innovation in #UNReform What if #UN reform decisions were backed by real-time evidence? Our new AI-powered tool, ReformNavigator, will make it possible—providing instant insights on performance & cost impacts. Join our backers to help build it & get free access. bit.ly/3HchMhK

Looking for a safe, interactive and critical exploration of #UNreform and why reforms so often struggle to learn from past failures? Join us for an interactive dialogue with Dr. Ben Christian this Friday. 👉 More info & registration here: www.reformworks.org/why-the-un-d....

A comprehensive look at the UN's cost-cutting plans by @passblue.bsky.social: "UN80 Plan Spells Doom for the Organization’s Core Work, Insiders Say." I spoke to her for @hrw.org about the dangers of cutting back on the UN's already underfunded human rights work.

On May 30 (9:00 EST / 15:00 CET) @reformworks.bsky.social is hosting our first expert dialogue with Dr. Ben Christian about why the #UN struggles with critical dissent & learning. We want to explore your questions and perspectives! 👉 More info and registration: www.reformworks.org/why-the-un-d....

Localization has been oddly absent from #UN80. The #performance and #efficiency benefits that local expertise can bring, won’t be achieved by using them as cheap labor to replace internationals. Research shows reform must rethink how both contribute within a new #UN business model. bit.ly/3EGZyUF

Despite a professionalized learning architecture, the #UN struggles to learn. What is the missing piece? A culture of criticism. With member states stressing that #UN80 be informed by lessons from past reforms, we explore new research that shows how learning can really happen. 👉 bit.ly/UNlearns

In 2017, the #HR Network recognized the performance & efficiency benefits of national professional officers (NPOs) for the #UN. Yet data indicates only a limited increase in the use of NPOs by some parts of the UN. Is it finally time to revisit UN staffing models? bit.ly/3EGZyUF #UNreform

National staff are the backbone of global efforts—I’ve seen it firsthand in Sierra Leone, Liberia, & East Timor. Yet, they are consistently underutilized. We explore barriers preventing the #UN from fully leveraging #nationalstaff & ask: Are int'l staff really more independent? bit.ly/3EGZyUF

Quantifying efficiency gains in #UNreform is tough. 'Administrative intensity'—used in multiple countries to evaluate if shared services save costs—offers a valuable measure. As #sharedservices gain attention in UN reforms, I’m re-sharing a ReformWorks summary on this concept:

Reforms in int'l orgs often stem from budget cuts, but understanding the drivers is critical. Are cuts due to shifts to defense spending (UK) or declining SDG support (US)? Anxiety can distort interpretations & undermine real reform. We unpack the arguments with strategic data points: bit.ly/3DMHF6w

We are taking practical steps to cut red tape for citizens and businesses. We welcome the European Parliament's approval this week of our first simplification package—a major step towards saving businesses over €6 billion in admin costs. More simplification is coming this year. europa.eu/!vgcTtF

Today #WFP hosted consultations with its Executive Board on draft Country Strategic Plans. Member states can provide feedback until 30 Apr—a great example of WFP's trust-driven stewardship with member states, which drive WFP's strong performance. Here's how others can do the same.

Prior work experience in the #UN or in the contexts in which it works is a key factor in gaining formal employment in the UN system. As the #FifthCommittee decides on paid #internships, we highlight how #funding of different opportunities impacts how many people can access them and from where.

🏆 I feel deeply honored to receive the Chadwick Alger Prize for the best book on multilateral cooperation and international organization for "Global Governance on the Ground". Have a look at the book here academic.oup.com/book/59022 and let me know if you can't access it.

The Review of International Organizations invites papers using geocoded data on foreign aid for a special issue “Analyzing Global Development with the Geocoded Official Development Assistance Dataset (GODAD).” See godad.me, godad.uni-goettingen.de/uploads/RIO_...

INSEAD research shows how crisis-driven reforms often prioritize managing leaders' anxieties over solving core issues. This ‘defensive organizing’ feels all too familiar for those who've been involved in #UNreforms. Are we really addressing the right problems? Find out: bit.ly/3DMHF6w

The retrenchment of #UN #peacekeeping continues. The Secretary-General is requesting a total $5.5 billion for 2025/26, down from the approved level of $5.6 billion for the current 2024/25 period. 🔗 undocs.org/en/A/C.5/79/31