Jeff Bartos

The UN General Assembly extended Volker Turk’s term as high commissioner for human rights for four years despite opposition from the US, Russia, and Israel. The vote passed 144–10 with 13 abstentions, rejecting alternative proposals to limit the term. The US criticized the process as rushed, warning of potential consequences for UN funding and engagement.

The Trump administration claims over $1 billion in cuts to United Nations budgets, including a 9.7% reduction in the peacekeeping budget and a 15% cut to the regular budget, achieved through U.S.-led negotiations. U.S. Ambassador Jeff Bartos emphasized these cuts as unprecedented reforms aimed at improving UN efficiency.

The United States urged donors to cease funding UNRWA, accusing it of Hamas infiltration and promoting the Board of Peace as an alternative. The UN defended UNRWA's mandate, emphasizing its role in Gaza's humanitarian efforts despite allegations of infiltration.

Trump's Board of Peace states that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa) 'has no place' in Gaza and urges nations to cease funding the agency. The Board retweeted a speech by US ambassador Jeff Bartos at a UN pledging conference, advocating for redirected financial support to its initiative. Unrwa serves approximately 5.9 million Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

Trump's Board of Peace stated that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa) 'has no place' in Gaza. US ambassador Jeff Bartos urged nations to stop funding Unrwa at a UN pledging conference, while Palestinian authorities called the agency an 'indispensable lifeline' for Palestinians.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Jeff Bartos stated that Washington's UN reform efforts aim to address perceived bias against the United States and Israel. He cited Trump administration reforms, including eliminating 3,000 bureaucratic positions and reducing the UN budget by $570 million this year, and pledged continued efforts to dismantle infrastructure supporting anti-US and anti-Israel bias.

Jeff Bartos, U.S. ambassador for United Nations Management and Reform, claims significant progress in UN reform with $570 million in budget cuts and 2,900 positions eliminated through consensus among 193 member states. The Trump administration has linked continued U.S. funding to structural changes at the UN, which faces a liquidity crisis due to delayed member-state payments.