Is the United Nations Still Fit for Purpose? : Shared by Anis Salem

 

Title: Michael Møller | Is the United Nations Still Fit for Purpose? 

Author: Michael Møller 

Publication: The McKay Interview 

Click here for the video podcast

Summary: In this interview, former UN Under-Secretary-General Michael Møller discusses the current challenges facing the United Nations and the new multilateral system. 

He identifies geopolitical fragmentation, the disappearance of trust, and the increasing acceptance of force as major detrimental changes, alongside the rapid advent of new technology. 

Møller is highly critical of the proposed "UN80" reform, calling it "too little too late" and a panicked response that risks dismantling the international ecosystem. 

He emphasizes that the UN's operational arm still works, but the political organs, like the Security Council, are dysfunctional due to reflecting a reality from 80 years ago and a severe funding crisis stemming from member states not paying their dues. He concludes by stressing the need for a collaborative approach involving non-state actors like city mayors and the business community to solve global problems.

Key Quotes:

• "The first is the fragmentation of our geopolitical reality very clear fragmentation the second is something which I I'm very sorry about which is the the increasing acceptance of the use of force and violence in our differences and clearing our differences the disappearance of trust... and finally the really incredibly rapid advent of new technologies" [02:23]

• "The fact is that there was no money to spend so it's not that we the UN system is spending unwisely it's simply because the member states are not paying that dues... the US has has a deficit has areas of over a billion and a half uh China hasn't paid up" [08:35]

• "I would say that the document itself is first of all not really a reform it's too little too late it's... it reminds me that when you take decisions based on panic you take bad decisions and this is what we're looking at here" [11:59]

• "The security council doesn't work because it reflects the reality of 80 years ago... we have to rethink completely the structure of the security council and we have to think re rethink completely the structure of the system itself" [20:30]

• "The real effective politicians these days are mayors of big cities these are the guys and girls who are closest to the needs um of their citizens and that is an element that is playing into the conversations today" [22:36]

• "We are now in a situation in the world where every single person on this planet has to be part of the search for the solution in small or big ways... we cannot just sit on our hands and expect our governments to solve these problems it's not going to happen" [23:59]

• "A really truly strong leader is collaborative" [31:35]