UN Reform Warning
Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu warned that the United Nations is ‘at grave risk’ unless it undergoes fundamental reform on Wednesday, as he battles to become the organisation’s next Secretary-General.
“Where the UN finds itself today, this is an imperative. We cannot continue with business as usual. The UN is at risk. We’ll make a grave error of judgement if we continue as is,” Otunnu said.
He argued that ‘fundamental reforms’ were needed to overhaul the UN’s working culture, deliver more on the ground and rebuild the credibility and political backing needed for member states to pay their bills.
“For the UN to play the role expected of member states and what the Charter provides needs to be a legitimate UN, a credible UN, a UN whose culture and method of work builds its legitimacy and impact,” Otunnu said.
Rebuilding The UN
But Otunnu insisted his reform drive was not about tearing down multilateralism. Instead, he said the UN needed to prove its worth by delivering real results.
“So that is what I hope that the reform I’m proposing will do, not kill multilateralism, but rebuild it, reposition it, strengthen it, create more impact on the ground so that we have what I would call the UN of service,” Otunnu said.
His warning lands as the UN battles criticism over bureaucracy, dwindling influence and a deepening cash crunch. The United States, by far its biggest debtor, paid about $160 million in February towards more than $4 billion it owed the organisation.
Otunnu is one of eight candidates now fighting to replace Antonio Guterres, whose second five-year term ends on December 31.
Race For UN Chief
The crowded field also includes former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, former Senegalese President Macky Sall, Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Ecuadorians Maria Fernanda Espinosa and Ivonne Baki.
The 15-member Security Council is using informal straw polls to test support before recommending a candidate to the General Assembly. Whoever survives the race must also dodge a veto from China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom or the United States.
The first poll at the end of July put Grynspan narrowly in front with 10 ‘encourage’ votes, followed by Rodrigues-Birkett on nine and Grossi on seven.
Denmark, which holds the Security Council presidency in August, plans a second informal poll on Friday, with more rounds likely as members hunt for a consensus candidate to take over on January 1, 2027.
Article by Viory
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