Guterres regrets the US decision to withdraw from the United Nations and its repercussions
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his deep regret over the White House announcement regarding the United States' decision to withdraw from several UN agencies and bodies. This move comes at a time when the world is facing geopolitical and climate challenges that require unprecedented international cooperation, making the US action highly likely to have far-reaching consequences for the multilateral system.
Legal and financial obligations
In an official comment on the decision, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric emphasized the legal nature of the relationship between member states and the international organization. Dujarric stated in a press release: "As we have always said and emphasized, the assessed contributions of states to the regular budget of the United Nations and the peacekeeping budget—as approved by the General Assembly—are a legal obligation under the Charter of the United Nations for all member states of the organization, including the United States.".
These statements point to the financial complications that may arise from this withdrawal, as the United States is traditionally the largest financial contributor to the United Nations budget, and the absence of its funding directly affects the organization’s ability to manage peacekeeping operations in hot conflict zones around the world, as well as humanitarian and relief programs.
Warnings of economic and climate disasters
Meanwhile, Simon Steele, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, issued strong warnings about the economic repercussions of withdrawing from climate cooperation. Steele emphasized that this move would not protect the US economy, as some believe, but would instead directly harm it. He pointed out that the United States played a pivotal role in drafting the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement because they primarily serve its national interests.
Steele explained that the withdrawal would exacerbate extreme weather events within the United States itself, such as an increase in the frequency of wildfires, devastating floods, and powerful storms. He added that these disasters would negatively impact the job market and living standards, inevitably leading to higher energy, food, and transportation costs, as well as increased insurance premiums for American households and businesses, which would become less secure and less prosperous.
Historical context and future of international cooperation
These developments are reminiscent of past periods of strained relations between Washington and the UN, with the United States previously withdrawing from and then rejoining several agreements and organizations, such as UNESCO and the Paris Climate Agreement. Experts assert that such fluctuations in the positions of major powers undermine confidence in international commitments and create a vacuum that could affect global stability.
Nevertheless, the UN spokesperson affirmed that all UN bodies will continue to resolutely implement their mandates as granted by member states and will not shirk their responsibilities towards the people who depend on them. The Secretariat of the Convention concluded by reiterating that the door remains open for the United States to rejoin in the future, as it has done previously, to ensure the sharing of the immense benefits of international cooperation in addressing the existential challenges facing the planet.
