The United States should resist a proposed UN “charter for the future,” which aims to re-center the global forum as a driving force on issues it has so far failed to make a difference, one expert said.
“The Summit for the Future, where UN member states are expected to endorse the Charter for the Future, is an attempt by the secretary-general to ‘reinvigorate global action’ and ‘further develop multilateralism frameworks so that they are fit for the future,’” said Brett Schaefer, a researcher on international regulatory affairs at the Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom.
“He should instead have called for reassessment, downsizing and refocusing,” said Schaefer, who served on the UN Contributions Committee from 2019 to 2021. “For example, the international response to COVID-19 has been deeply flawed; peacekeeping operations are in decline; negotiations are bogged down by divergent priorities; and human rights abusers are dominating the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.”
The Future Summit will be held before a high-level week at the UN General Assembly. Schaefer claimed that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been working to organize the summit over the past three years through his annual reports, which have focused on climate and pollution issues.
UN resolution demanding Israel leave 'occupied territories' could harm 'very volatile' situation, expert says
The agreement would expand that scope and focus on “global shocks,” such as “disruption of activity in cyberspace” or “disruptions to global flows of goods, people or finance.”
The agreement also seeks to change the way countries discuss wealth and productivity, proposing the development of new measures beyond GDP and the decentralization of financial governance and voting power from organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to help expand the reach of developing countries.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press conference at the United Nations Visitors' Plaza on April 19, 2022 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Guterres expressed his great concern and interest in how the world governs common global resources, such as the high seas, the atmosphere, Antarctica, and outer space, as well as global public goods, that is, initiatives of common interest among nations.
Schaefer warned that these initiatives, while seemingly altruistic, would instead prove to be more than the organization could handle—citing its failure to deal with such initiatives in the past—and would instead end up handing the UN another tool to threaten opposing states like the United States.
UN Ambassador Criticizes Israeli Military, Calls for 'Fundamental Changes'
“The charter would give additional responsibilities to an organization that cannot handle its current mandate instead of focusing on areas like humanitarian assistance where the UN can make unique and valuable contributions,” Schaefer said.
“The Charter for the Future will join a long list of UN statements that have served as diplomatic and rhetorical tools to attack the United States,” he added. “The wise course for the United States to take is not to support the Charter for the Future at the upcoming summit.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly at United Nations Headquarters in New York City on September 22, 2023. (Brian R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield expressed concerns about the deal during a press conference on Wednesday, when she warned that member states still have concerns about the agreement.
“Over the past few months, we have seen the entire UN system engage in crafting a charter for the future that everyone can agree on, and I know we are not there yet,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
It's time for the international community to take action against Iran: Danny Danon
“As I noted, negotiations are still ongoing as we speak. I think we've accomplished a lot and have a lot of common priorities on the table. There are still some key differences,” she said.
Thomas-Greenfield warned that any agreement requiring unanimity would never result in “100 percent happy” members, and that the charter would contain elements “that we all disagree on,” which she believes members will raise during the charter vote itself.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks after a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on August 24, 2023 at United Nations Headquarters. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
“I remain optimistic that we will get there,” she said, noting that the United States was “disappointed that some countries broke the silence on a number of issues yesterday because we were so close.”
“The G77 agreed not to break the silence, the European Union agreed not to break the silence, we agreed not to break the silence, but unfortunately there are a few other countries that are still trying to put things in the agreement, knowing that it will be difficult to achieve them,” she added.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“I think you probably realize that the Russians have broken their silence on about 15 different issues. They don’t like any mention of sanctions, of course. I realize that Saudi Arabia has broken its silence on issues related to climate, and other countries have broken their silence on issues related to reforming international financial institutions,” she added.
“We had issues with that language, but we were able to get to a place where we could accept the language, even though we didn't think it was perfect, so all of those negotiations are ongoing now,” she added.
