In an interview with Devex Executive Editor Kate Warren at Casa Devex, Norway’s international development minister, Åsmund Grøver Aukrust, spoke about the need for U.N. reform.
“I don’t think anyone has the complete answer here because things are changing so rapidly just in front of us,” he said. “But of course, we need to reform the system. Today, there are 42 U.N. agencies, there are many thousands of U.N. mandates, and this is not sustainable and it’s not a good way of doing development.” He mentioned that during a recent trip to Lebanon, he spoke to a government minister who has to deal with 15 different U.N. agencies – “not a good way forward,” Aukrust said.
“We are the member states of the U.N. and we need to take the responsibility to ensure that we have a U.N., that we can afford it and that it is sustainable for the future,” he said, noting that he’s pleased to see at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development “that even though there are many crises, there is a lack of trust between so many countries, we are able to get to it together when it’s needed.”
About the author
Fiona Zublin
Fiona Zublin is Devex's Deputy Managing Editor. Prior to joining the Devex team, she worked at OZY, NPR, and The Washington Post. Originally from the United States, she now lives and works in Paris.
