The focus of the world as the UN marks its 80th year will be on discussions around the war in Ukraine and the wave of recognition for Palestinian statehood – but there’s another, more existential story bubbling around the General Assembly
As the UN marks its 80th year, the focus of the world will be on discussions of the war in Ukraine, and on the wave of countries recognising Palestinian statehood.
But there’s another – more existential – story bubbling around the General Assembly in New York this week.
The UN is flat, stoney broke.
The body is setting out plans to slash its workforce and dramatically scale back the work that it does.
The UN80 Initiative, as it’s known, is designed to “reform” the organisation’s structures and focus, making it more “agile” and duplicating less work.
Next year the UN will trim its $3.7 billion budget by 20%. They’re looking at shedding 6,900 jobs – about 20% of its 35,000-strong workforce.
And sure, maybe a leaner UN isn’t in itself a bad thing. Maybe it could do with cutting down on some of the overlapping bodies and programmes and thinning down the bureaucracy.
But as Richard Gowan, director of UN and Multilateral Diplomacy at the International Crisis Group, told the Council of Foreign Relations: “Everyone understands that we’re going through a process which really is about, ultimately, doing less with less.”
And why are they having to do this? Well, not to put too fine a point on it, Donald Trump.
The US President speaks at the Assembly tomorrow, and as usual a collective breath is being held about the content of his speech. He might turn up and berate the world about trade, tariffs, Nato, or whatever is bothering him that morning. Maybe he’ll buck the mood of the event and tear into the idea of Palestinian statehood.
But behind the scenes, his contribution to UN80 has already been made – or, to be more accurate, taken away.
It’s not just the US – altogether member states owe the UN about $2.4 billion in late or unpaid dues. But $1.5 billion of that is from the US.
And the Trump administration is “reviewing” all funding by the US – potentially cutting off the body’s single biggest stream of cash.
The White House has frozen funding via the UN for Palestinian refugees, UN peacekeeping, UNICEF and the UN Development Programme.
And it has pulled the US out of the Human Rights Council and the World Health Organisation – another body facing financial woes after his withdrawal.
And with global peace and security in such unsteady shape – not to mention an emboldened Donald Trump in the White House – it’s hard to imagine a worse time for the UN to be on its knees.