UN report indicates no one reads UN reports

(MENAFN) The United Nations has acknowledged that the majority of its reports receive little attention, according to a new internal study aimed at improving the organization's effectiveness and streamlining its operations. The admission comes as the UN celebrates its 80th anniversary, while grappling with what many describe as an identity and credibility crisis.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the UN80 Taskforce in March to address inefficiencies and reduce the administrative burden caused by thousands of mandates. The report released Thursday revealed that the UN Secretariat published 1,100 reports in the past year—a 20% rise since 1990—and facilitated 27,000 meetings across 240 bodies.

Guterres warned that the growing volume of reports and meetings is straining the system. “The sheer number of meetings and reports is pushing the system – and all of us – to the breaking point,” he said.

Despite the massive output, most reports are barely accessed. Only the top 5% are downloaded over 5,500 times, while 20% are downloaded fewer than 1,000 times—and even downloads don’t guarantee they are read. Ironically, it’s unclear how many have read the latest report highlighting this issue. A promotional UN tweet with a video on the reform effort had under 5,000 views at the time of writing.

Founded after World War II by five powers—the Soviet Union, U.S., UK, France, and China—the UN began with 51 members and now includes 193. Critics argue that the institution is outdated. Guterres, however, maintains that the UN’s mission remains vital.

Calls for reform continue to grow. Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged updates to the UN Security Council to reflect global shifts and increase representation for developing countries. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar echoed that sentiment, comparing the UN to an aging company out of touch with modern realities but still holding influence.

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