There’s been a gradual build up of internal pressure since I posted my blog “YesBut the United Nations is the pits” on 12th May. As is the way of such things, uncontrolled it could have manifested itself as a fart, but harnessing the energy its become a rant.Do you know what the United Nations annual budget is? Unfortunately one click on Google doesn’t give the answer. But the current operating budget is estimated at $4.19 billion. There are three budgets:
- The UN regular budget covers among other things the cost of the General Assembly, Security Council and the Secretariat.
- The “Voluntary funding” pays for UN Development Program, World Food Program and the UN Children’s Fund(UNICEF).
- The UN peacekeeping budget.
It’s unnecessary to get bogged down in too much detail; because it’s universally accepted that the United Nations has ceased to function - doubt if it ever did.
Why if there is such unanimous agreement is it allowed to continue? There are only two parties with sufficient power to instigate change: the USA and the European Union (EU).
France and the United Kingdom will stop the EU doing anything. Why? Their veto in the UN Security Council is the only vestige they have of their former “World Power” status. They know in any reorganised UN or replacement organization they will be ranked among the minnows. The USA makes a whopping $423 million (22%) contribution to the UN Regular Budget, why doesn’t it do something to get its money’s worth? Simply, it doesn’t have the moral authority to propose change. All it can do is withhold payments.
The United Nations will proceed in its usual corrupt inept dysfunctional manner, until there is a USA President with enough courage and moral gravitas to call a halt.
The World does need a forum, where hopefully arguments between nations can be settled, through discussion not war, unfortunately the Security Council and before that the League of Nations have failed. For it to function it must operate above the influence of individual countries or power blocks. It must also have the power to enforce its decisions - without that its merely a talking shop. Though people would be happy with “jaw, jaw, jaw rather than war, war, war”.
It would be perverse to say everything about the UN is wrong! There is one arm of the UN which does function - the International Court of Justice. As for the rest, scrap the lot. You might protest: what about the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the UN Environmental Program or the UN Development Fund and UNICEF. Undeniably their objectives are sound and desirable, but in practice their implementation is bogged down in corrupt inefficient bureaucracy - they function primarily on who you know rather that what you know.
YesBut's hard life, pressure build-up on the inside, rain on the outside, click here to see.
