What does the future hold for multilateral organizations?

The news reports coming out of the UN and its agencies are dire. They foretell a bleak future. The organization that is meant to help those struggling with security does not feel secure about its own prospects.

The UN is facing one of the greatest financial crises in its 80-year history. At the start of the year, the US, which is its largest donor, was already about $1.5 billion in arrears in terms of mandatory payments to the regular budget and $1.2 billion in arrears for peacekeeping. Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has also cut billions of dollars in foreign assistance. And the White House last week requested Congress not to budget for the UN’s regular budget or for peacekeeping in the coming year. However, the UN has been facing a liquidity crisis for the past seven years because not all member states pay their dues in full or on time, including the major contributors. Given this funding crisis, it is time to seriously address restructuring the world body.

A leaked internal memo prepared by senior UN officials tasked with reforming the organization — a program known as the “UN80 Initiative” — suggests a massive overhaul that would merge major departments and agencies and relocate staff from more expensive cities to lower-cost locations. The memo notes that “geopolitical shifts and substantial reductions in foreign aid budgets are challenging the legitimacy and effectiveness of the organization.” Recent humanitarian aid cuts by the US and other countries, including the UK, France and Germany, have severely impacted several UN agencies.

These suggestions reflect long-held views that the UN needs streamlining because, as the memo notes, there are “overlapping mandates,” “inefficient use of resources,” “fragmentation and duplication” and a bloating of senior positions. Several agencies are planning to or have already laid off staff and reduced their operations because of the shrinking budget, including the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the UN Refugee Agency, the World Food Programme and the International Organization for Migration, putting the lives of millions of people at risk. Agencies are to review their functions and identify those that can be reduced or relocated, with submissions due by May 16.

Several UN agencies are planning to or have already laid off staff and reduced their operations because of the shrinking budget

Maha Akeel

The UN80 Initiative was created by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “to ensure the UN remains effective, cost-efficient and responsive to the people it serves.” It will identify efficiencies and improvements to the UN’s ways of working, review the implementation of mandates from member states, and conduct a strategic review of deeper, more structural changes and program realignment. The secretary-general is expected to report on these proposals in July.

Multilateralism is being challenged by individual states exerting their power with complete disregard for international laws and norms. This jeopardizes peace and security all around the world, as different factions, violent nonstate actors and extreme nationalists become emboldened to take advantage of the polarization and paralysis of the international community.

At this critical juncture in the history of the UN, many questions arise about its role, its achievements and how it operates. Do we need the UN and its agencies? If yes, what kind of organization do we want? During the past few years, the UN’s credibility and relevance has been questioned, as people see its utter inability to protect the citizens in Gaza, stop the war in Ukraine or provide enough humanitarian aid to Sudan. This could be an opportunity to push for real reforms, including of the Security Council.

Proposals for UN reform have been on the table for many years, but change is not easy given that it would require approval from member states. There is always resistance and lengthy negotiations, as each state has vested interests in different UN entities and their mandates.

This time, there could be an opportunity for many countries, including Saudi Arabia, to play a bigger role, whether that is financially, by hosting offices and staff or shaping agendas and policies. As Western countries today seem to be less eager to support the organization they built in their image, maybe it is time for the Global South to step in to steer it, especially given that most of its work is done in developing countries. It would make sense to move most of its operations closer to where the action is.

Multilateralism is being challenged by individual states exerting their power with complete disregard for international laws and norms

Maha Akeel

However, reducing costs should not be the main objective. The process should lead to a more efficient and effective organization through a comprehensive review of mandates, bureaucracy and procedures. It should involve diverse stakeholders and take into consideration current and future challenges and changes.

What does this tell us about other international organizations? There are certainly many questions about the performance, ability and credibility of other regional and international organizations and they all seem to be struggling financially too. However, the problem might not be in the lack of funding. Most often, it is a lack of leadership, capacity and efficiency. Operating under lax transparency and accountability leads to mismanagement.

The reforms at the UN could be an opportunity for regional organizations to play a leading role in development and peace, something the UN itself acknowledges. It is time for these organizations to reevaluate their status and initiate real restructuring and reforms to remain relevant and responsive to the needs of the people.

The coming weeks and months seem likely to hold many fundamental changes, as the world is facing political turmoil, economic uncertainties and deep social and technological transformations. It is at such times that we need multilateral platforms that bring world leaders together to help them reach peaceful solutions and address conflicts, risks and crises and their causes in a productive, cooperative way.

• Maha Akeel is a Saudi expert in communications, social development and international relations. She is a member of the UN’s Senior Women Talent Pipeline. X: @MahaAkeel1