The United Nations is in a "suicidal spiral" and requires deep reform to survive, according to an opinion piece in the New York Post. The author suggests that while the candidates vying to succeed current UN Secretary-General António Guterres all speak of reform, their backgrounds in global diplomacy may prevent them from enacting the necessary changes.
The piece criticizes the UN bureaucracy, calling it a "global parasite" that enriches top figures while offering "comforting blather." It contrasts the traditional UN approach of rotating the top job between regions with the need for substantial reform. The author expresses concern over figures like Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, who is described as having cheered for terrorists, and criticizes Guterres's reappointment after failing to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.
The United States, with the support of Republicans in Congress, is reportedly insisting on better leadership at the UN. While a rumor suggested that former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán might be a candidate favored by some, the piece dismisses this as unlikely and suggests it signals a potential willingness by Donald Trump to look outside the typical pool of candidates if the field remains unchanged.
UN insiders anticipate a delay in selecting a successor for Guterres, whose term ends January 1. Months of Security Council straw polls have not yielded a consensus, with Russia reportedly blocking any candidate from winning in the current month. The author cites Secretary of State Marco Rubio's speeches, emphasizing the need for UN leadership to defend "Western civilization" and combat "left-wing terrorism." The opinion piece concludes that a "go-along-to-get-along" approach is no longer viable. If the UN leadership does not recognize this, the organization may find itself without a secretary-general.