NEW YORK, February 3 (IPS) – Within the month of February 2025, one yr in the past, United Nations Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres commenced his briefing of the media by asserting that “I wish to begin by expressing my deep concern about info acquired within the final 48 hours by UN companies — in addition to many humanitarian and improvement NGOs — concerning extreme cuts in funding by america.” He went on to warn that ““The implications shall be particularly devastating for weak individuals world wide.”
UN80 Initiative – Reform or Strain?
That budgetary disaster was tried to be delay by launching the anniversary-rationaled and liquidity-crunch-panic-driven, window-dressing reform agenda – the so-called UN80 Initiative. These lengthy overdue structural and programmatic reforms of the UN system have been on the agenda of at the least for the final 4 Secretaries-Normal however with out having a lot vital affect, besides acronym-changing, mandate-creeping and structure-tweaking, and now as of late, staff-relocating.
An Alarm Bell for Monetary Collapse
Finish of this January once more the Secretary-Normal stated in a letter to all UN Member States that money for its common working price range might run out by July, which might dramatically have an effect on its operations. He additionally referred to as on the to basically overhaul the UN’s monetary guidelines to stop an “imminent monetary collapse”.
Why now ask the member states to do one thing concrete? Why not in February 2025 when he sounded the alarm himself?
It jogs my memory of the considerably related Aesop’s fable about boy who cried wolf.
Lamenting Restricted Energy – No Energy, No Cash
Up to now, Secretary-Normal Guterres lamented to the media asserting that “… it’s completely true that the Secretary-Normal of the United Nations has very restricted energy, and it’s additionally completely true that he has little or no capability to mobilize monetary sources. So, no energy and no cash.”
That’s the actuality which each and every Secretary-Normal faces and has been conscious of. That can be recognized typically to the individuals who comply with the United Nations frequently and completely perceive the useful complexity of the world’s largest multilateral equipment.
Why then does this actuality surfaces and dropped at public consideration solely when the UN management fails to hold out the mandated duties?
I imagine strongly that this “very restricted energy”, as worded by SG Guterres, needs to be highlighted as typically as potential to keep away from pointless and undue expectations of the worldwide group in regards to the UN and its high management. No Secretary-Normal has identified these limitations as he campaigned for the publish and on assuming the workplace, so far as I do know.
Present SG Guterres isn’t any exception. He would have been reasonable and factual if he had identified the constraints – higher termed as obstacles – to his management as he took workplace in 2017, and never in 2026 after being in workplace for almost 9 years. This built-in operational weak spot and incapacity of the world’s most vital diplomat have all the time been there.
Controlling Or Quitting?
Some individuals speculate that the US is utilizing its monetary clout and stress to threaten the collapse of the UN.
The US has all the time been utilizing its enormous energy of veto and nearly one-fourth of the budgetary contributions to the operations of the UN system. That may be a actuality which needs to be saved in thoughts by the management of the UN and its Member States, except the Constitution of the UN is modified to create a extra democratic group within the true sense.
For a very long time, the US has used the half cost preparations for its legally due contributions, with full understanding and acceptance of the Secretary-Normal, in order that it might probably keep away from shedding its voting energy and get its personal pound of flesh every time such instalment funds are made.
I imagine the US desires to make use of the world physique in its personal manner by controlling, not quitting.
A Lady on the Helm for The UN
On this context, let me reiterate that after eight a long time of its existence and selecting 9 males successively to be the world’s topmost diplomat, it’s incumbent on the United Nations to have the sanity and sagacity of electing a girl as the subsequent Secretary-Normal in 2026 when the incumbent’s successor could be chosen.
There’s a want for artistic, non-bureaucratic and pro-active management initiative for an actual change to make sure avoidance of “crying wolf” syndrome disrupting the work and actions of probably the most common multilateral physique with the mandate for working in the perfect curiosity of humanity.
Ambassador Anwarul Ok. Chowdhury is a former UN Underneath-Secretary-Normal, one-time Everlasting Consultant of Bangladesh to the United Nations, Chairman of the UN Normal Meeting’s Administrative and Budgetary Committee (1997-1998), former Senior Particular Adviser to UN Normal Meeting President (2011-2012) and President of the UN Safety Council (2000 and 2001) and a two-term Vice Chairman of the omnipotent UN Committee on Programme and Coordination (1984-85).
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