Jakarta. Indonesia backs the United Nations’ plans to move some of its operations from New York to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, citing low costs and effectiveness.

According to a senior Indonesian diplomat, some internal reforms are underway at the international organization. This includes moving some major UN offices, including the children’s emergency fund UNICEF and the reproductive health agency UNFPA, to Nairobi. UN Women will have its headquarters in the cost-effective region.

“Yes, the UN is planning to make reforms, and that’d be moving those agencies to Nairobi. … I think that’s quite a bold decision, which I welcome very positively. … It’s about efficiency, and it should be able to halve the costs,” Tri Tharyat, the director-general for multilateral cooperation at the Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday.

“The financial contributions by member countries have dropped significantly. That’s why it’s time for us to really evaluate things,” Tri said.

The relocation is also expected to bring the agencies closer to their respective fields. 

“Women and children-related issues are more common in developing economies,” Tri stated.

Media reports showed that the move would likely occur by 2026. According to the Ankara-based media outlet Anadolu Agency, UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq told the press last month that the relocation proposal was still under discussion, stating that talks were still in the early stages. However, Haq admitted that the UN indeed was mulling putting its operations in places where costs are lower.

The UN requires its members to make financial contributions, although the amount each member pays varies depending on its gross national income, debt burden, and population, to name a few. The money also covers the body’s administrative costs and activities. Indonesia has paid its regular budget assessments in full for the 2025 fiscal year in May, with net assessments reaching $19.7 million, the UN data showed.

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