COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Might 22 (IPS) – The UN goes by way of one other train in reforming itself underneath immense strain from the US, its major funder. This time US President Donald Trump has expressed himself way more forcefully and appears decided to pare down US contributions and demand additional curbing of UN bills, whereas another donors, reluctant to point out their very own arms, are quietly cheering on the US.
To stress that it means enterprise, and to the cheers of its cabal of home supporters, the US has withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council, the United Nations Instructional, Scientific, and Cultural Group (UNESCO), the UN Reduction and Works Company (UNRWA) and the World Well being Group (WHO).
As well as, it has pulled out of the Paris Local weather Accords. On earlier events, the US had additionally withheld its contributions forcing then Secretaries-Basic, Kofi Annan and Ban ki-Moon to undertake reform workouts. That the US ought to now undertake a extra ruthless method to the UN after having been a catalytic drive in its creation, is a tragic commentary on the modifications which have impacted on the unique idealism.
It could appear that the UN goes by way of the ritual of making an attempt to reform itself each time the US withholds funding, often when the Republicans assume energy in Washington DC. On the time, many senior UN staffers cynically believed that the US would provide you with the funds that it owed eventually and handled the reform ritual with supercilious indifference. (This was what I skilled throughout my time on the UN).
This time spherical, the UN reform train could should be extra significant if the Trump Administration is to chorus from going by way of with its threats to curtail funding. In any, occasion, many would agree that the UN wants reform, each inside the organisation in addition to in its political our bodies.
Reassuringly and to the aid of many, the US seems to be nonetheless dedicated to the UN. The Performing Everlasting Consultant of the US to the UN, Dorothy Shea has stated, “The United Nations stays important to resolving advanced worldwide challenges, first amongst them sustaining worldwide peace and safety, and addressing the causes of armed battle. The UN should return to its principal objective and the Secretary-Basic is uniquely positioned because the Chief Administrative Officer to guide this endeavor.”
At a time when many governments are dealing with finances reductions and reprioritization, the United Nations should refocus on efficient supply of its core functions. This consists of higher supply the place it issues most: on the country-level”. It could appear that the US dedication to the UN stays constructive regardless of worries on the contrary articulated by some. Nevertheless, the message of the Performing PR is abundantly clear — the UN should re-focus on its key objectives.
One of many irksome points to handle is the plethora of actions for which the UN has assumed duty. Over time, the Group has taken upon duties, principally on the behest of Member States, which will fall broadly inside its mandate, however which aren’t essentially per its core features.
Though many such duties could possibly be introduced inside the broad scope of its Constitution mandated duties, critics would argue that they don’t fall inside its core mandates. The funding in lots of circumstances got here from the core finances, and the help construction is supplied by the Group, and a few actions could even be funded by particular contributions from Member States.
This has enabled sure Member States to facilitate UN actions which they themselves have funded however, in most probability, which reply to the agenda of their very own home strain teams. Human Rights and the Setting, particularly local weather change, doubtless fall into this class.
Over time, the UN has thus taken on the function of responding to the home pressures of particular person states, particularly the wealthy states, leaving doubts within the minds of some as as to if these features actually fall inside the core duties of the Group.
Added to the issue is the persistent shortfall of funds to grasp the vary of features now being undertaken by the Organisation. By April 30, 2025, unpaid “assessments” (cash owed to the UN by particular person nations) stood at US$2.4 billion, with the US owing $1.5 billion, China round $600 million, and Russia greater than $70 million.
On prime of that, the peacekeeping finances was $2.7 billion in arrears. In 2024, 41 nations didn’t pay their mandated contributions. Whereas non payers may lose their proper to vote, this has by no means proved an ample deterrent to these intent on delaying their dues.
In March 2025, UN Secretary-Basic António Guterres launched “UN80”, a overview that seeks to verify the establishment continues to be fit-for-purpose because it appears to be like in the direction of a financially straightened future. The threatened funding cuts by the US, has helped to focus the eye of the Group.
This train of the Secretary-Basic, paying homage to the expertise of each earlier Secretaries-Basic, Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon, who additionally launched related workouts however which petered out in time as a lot of the group returned to the consolation zone of current work strategies and practices. Some issues modified however not a lot.
UN reform, to be convincing, ought to be an ongoing course of and never merely a response to US threats to withhold funding. The Division of Administration Technique, Coverage and Compliance (DMSPC) and the UNGA Fifth Committee carry out helpful features on this respect, however the UNGA 5TH Committee is topic to an excessive amount of strain from Member States.
Managers should not solely be technically competent but additionally be fashionable executives who imagine in persevering with change, upskilling and upgrading. Coaching to improve abilities and the dedication of employees to the core objectives of the group ought to be an everyday characteristic. These appointed to the best ranges by the Secretary-Basic, should possess superior managerial abilities, particularly these introduced for appointment by influential states.
The group should adapt to altering circumstances, embrace fashionable work strategies and attitudes, search to provide the most effective with accessible assets, and, very importantly, be dedicated to producing worth for cash. The world should really feel that the world group is producing outcomes commensurate with what the worldwide neighborhood is spending on it and, particularly its employees.
Many employees have resigned to marking time in NY or Geneva whereas not producing a lot of worth for the group or the worldwide neighborhood.
UN 80 has recognized areas that could possibly be improved instantly. However many of those proposals may run into employees resistance. For instance, it acknowledged outdated working strategies resulting in inefficiencies inside the group as a key drawback, whereas intergovernmental conferences don’t make use of contemporary instruments and applied sciences.
These have been issues recognized even in the course of the tenures of Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon. A posh vary of options have been carried out. UN employees are on higher than common advantages packages. These thought-about redundant have been inspired to take a golden handshake and go away. Workers coaching was a precedence.
Workers evaluation strategies have been modernized. I keep in mind the coaching and group constructing periods we attended at Glen Cove with specialised exterior trainers. Automation occurred rapidly. Kofi Annan initiated the award of a UN 21 Pin to superior performers in administration. (I used to be one of many early awardees of the Pin). However the initiative petered out largely as a result of lots of the senior political appointees who got here from exterior the group couldn’t relate to the improvements.
One answer to this is able to be to require nominees for such appointments possess superior administration expertise. Higher nonetheless, nations that make such nominations, present the secretariat with a number of names. The management of a unit or a division performs a vital function in making the unit dynamic and productive.
It’s to be remembered many managers who originated in creating nations, corresponding to India and China, now lead leading edge companies and occupy senior authorities positions within the West, particularly within the US. These modifications, correctly carried out, would very doubtless enhance supply.
No doubt, UN conferences may be organised in another way. All conferences needn’t happen in New York or Geneva with the participation of delegations from capitals. These conferences are costly to organise, expensive to the individuals and unlikely to have the most effective representatives from poorer nations as a result of prices concerned.
If participation could possibly be organized from capitals, utilizing fashionable expertise which is now freely accessible, outcomes would almost definitely be higher. The place within the uncommon case {that a} nation can not organise such distant participation utilizing fashionable expertise, the UN workplace within the capital may help in offering the required services.
Some nations would possibly contemplate this an economical choice even for conferences of the UN Committees and even the UNGA. (This was tried out in the course of the Covid lock downs).
The UN has been requested to think about shifting a few of its places of work to more cost effective places. Nairobi already hosts, inter alia, UNEP, and UN Habitat and quite a few atmosphere associated conferences. It could additionally make sense to carry collectively all UN ocean associated places of work underneath one roof in Jamica the place the Fee on the Continental Shelf is positioned.
Using NY for ocean associated places of work and conferences appears incongruous provided that the US is just not even a celebration to the Regulation of the Sea Conference (LOSC). A rigorous rationalisation of LOSC actions and shifting them to Jamaica or another equally cost-effective location would appear fascinating.
Given the shut connection between the oceans and local weather change, we may even contemplate shifting all LOS actions to Bonn the place the Local weather Change secretariat is positioned. Along with the price benefits, entry to leading edge tutorial and devoted analysis establishments in Europe could be an added benefit to each. The 2 establishments may feed from one another and thrive in a supportive atmosphere. Shifting UNDP and UNICEF out of NY must also be thought-about.
Over-lapping agendas of models corresponding to between ECOSOC and its purposeful commissions and skilled our bodies, and people of the Basic Meeting and its Second and Third Committees, resulting in duplication of efforts ought to be subjected to a rationalization overview. Their very own managerial our bodies ought to undertake such opinions within the first occasion.
A severe overview have to be undertaken of whether or not all these Beneath-Secretaries-Basic (USG), Assistant Secretaries-Basic (ASG) and Administrators (D) are required. Many positions could possibly be terminated, others consolidated. In implementing the reform, rigor have to be exercised.
In any other case, the present reform can be prone to go the identical means because the earlier ones.
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