To Survive, the United Nations Must Leave America : Shared by Tom McDermott

To Survive, the United Nations Must Leave America

Carl Bildt – Free Malaysia Today / Project Syndicate, September 30 2025

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Summary

Marking the UN’s 80th anniversary, Carl Bildt argues that the organisation’s survival depends on breaking free from America’s political and financial dominance. He describes a paralysed Security Council, funding collapses from both Washington and Beijing, and morale so low that Secretary-General António Guterres plans staff cuts of 20 percent. With the U.S. refusing visas for some delegations and withdrawing support while endorsing Israel’s attacks on UN agencies, Bildt concludes that relocating UN headquarters from New York to a more neutral, cost-effective host country may be the only path to preserve its legitimacy and operations.

Quotes

• “The UN Security Council – where China, Russia and the US each wield a veto – is locked in a permanent confrontation over one issue or another, blocking the rest of the organisation from moving forward on almost anything.”
• “The Israeli government not only questions the humanitarian efforts of UNRWA but now also blocks the organisation’s work whenever it can – and it could not have done so without America’s tacit support.”
• “The US provides 25 percent of UN funding, but it has stopped sending its contributions. Making matters worse, China … is also behind on its payments.”
• “Moving the headquarters out of the US is a natural step, owing not only to the withdrawal of US funding and the need for cost savings, but also to the US’s refusal to grant visas to those attending UN gatherings.”
• “Dag Hammarskjöld famously remarked that the body was not created to deliver Heaven, but rather to spare us from Hell … For things to stay the same, everything must change.”