Is it the Budgetary Disaster – Or Management Disaster – Dealing with the United Nations – Or Each? — World Points
NEW YORK, February 3 (IPS) – Within the month of February 2025, one yr in the past, United Nations Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres commenced his briefing of the media by saying that “I wish to begin by expressing my deep concern about data acquired within the final 48 hours by UN businesses — in addition to many humanitarian and growth NGOs — relating to extreme cuts in funding by the US.” He went on to warn that “The results can be particularly devastating for susceptible 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 not less than for the final 4 Secretaries-Common however with out having a lot important influence, besides acronym-changing, mandate-creeping and structure-tweaking, and now today, staff-relocating.
An Alarm Bell for Monetary Collapse
Finish of this January once more the Secretary-Common stated in a letter to all UN Member States that money for its common working funds may run out by July, which may dramatically have an effect on its operations. He additionally known as on the to essentially overhaul the UN’s monetary guidelines to forestall 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 comparable Aesop’s fable about boy who cried wolf.
Lamenting Restricted Energy – No Energy, No Cash
Prior to now, Secretary-Common Guterres lamented to the media asserting that “… it’s completely true that the Secretary-Common of the United Nations has very restricted energy, and it’s additionally completely true that he has little or no capability to mobilize monetary assets. So, no energy and no cash.”
That’s the actuality which each Secretary-Common faces and has been conscious of. That can also be recognized typically to the individuals who comply with the United Nations repeatedly and completely perceive the useful complexity of the world’s largest multilateral equipment.
Why then has this actuality been surfaced and delivered to public consideration solely when the UN management fails to hold out the mandated tasks?
I consider strongly that this “very restricted energy”, as worded by SG Guterres, needs to be highlighted as usually as potential to keep away from pointless and undue expectations of the worldwide group in regards to the UN and its prime management. No Secretary-Common has identified these limitations as he campaigned for the put up and on assuming the workplace, so far as I do know.
Present SG Guterres is not any exception. He would have been reasonable and factual if he had identified the restrictions – higher termed as obstacles – to his management as he took workplace in 2017, and never in 2026 after being in workplace for practically 9 years. This built-in operational weak point and incapability of the world’s most vital diplomat have at all times 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 at all times 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-Common, in order that it will possibly keep away from shedding its voting energy and get its personal pound of flesh every time such instalment funds are made.
I consider the US needs to make use of the world physique in its personal approach by controlling, not quitting.
A Lady on the Helm for The UN
On this context, let me reiterate that after eight many years 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 lady as the following Secretary-Common in 2026 when the incumbent’s successor could be chosen.
There’s a want for inventive, 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 essentially the most common multilateral physique with the mandate for working in one of the best curiosity of humanity.
Ambassador Anwarul Ok. Chowdhury is a former UN Beneath-Secretary-Common, one-time Everlasting Consultant of Bangladesh to the United Nations, Chairman of the UN Common Meeting’s Administrative and Budgetary Committee (1997-1998), former Senior Particular Adviser to UN Common 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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