The past year has been one of reform at the United Nations, principally the UN80 initiative, which has resulted in some 20% cuts in the administrative budget. But a panel of experts interviewed by Devex in a Pro Briefing voiced concern that they are not necessarily the reforms needed to make the U.N. more relevant in the year ahead.
For sure, the U.N. belt-tightening has helped Turtle Bay convince American policymakers that it is willing to heed their demands to rein in spending in an organization that even its staunchest defenders contend is plagued by a certain level of bloat and duplication.
It certainly doesn't help that Washington has largely failed to pay its bills on time and in full, fueling a major cash crisis that threatens an “imminent financial collapse” of the U.N., according to its secretary-general, António Guterres.