U.N. Secretary-General, António Guterres pleads with member states to contribute on Tuesday, saying that the organization’s peacekeeping effort is “only as strong as their commitment to it.”
Currently, the UN peacekeeping agency oversees 11 missions in nations like Kosovo, South Sudan, Lebanon, Congo, the Central African Republic, and Cyprus.
Nine of those operations have a $5.6 billion budget for the fiscal year ending June 30th, which is 8.2% less than the previous year.
Every one of the 193 nations that make up the United Nations is legally required to contribute to peacekeeping.
As Guterres contended, with a budget “representing a tiny fraction of global military spending — around one half of one per cent — U.N. peacekeeping remains one of the most effective and cost-effective tools to build international peace and security.”
“But it’s only as strong as member states’ commitment to it,” He said this at the start of a two-day ministerial conference being hosted by Germany to talk about the future of peacekeeping.
“Unfortunately, peacekeeping operations have been facing serious liquidity problems. It is absolutely essential that all member states respect their financial obligations, paying their contributions in full and on time.”
Although Guterres did not elaborate on the issues, he did admit that “these are tough times for the financing of our work across the board.”
More generally, under President Donald Trump’s administration, the United Nations has been rushing to react to cuts in funding for aid operations from the United States, its largest donor.
Johann Wadephul, the foreign minister of Germany, stated that his nation, like many others,
“is prepared to pledge additional resources” for peacekeeping.
However, he added that efforts should be made to make missions “more efficient and more focused” by reducing bureaucracy, avoiding duplication, and establishing clearer mandates.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com
