Candidate for UN Secretary-General calls for sweeping reforms of organization

The United Nations (UN) needs reforms more than ever to meet modern realities, Permanent Representative of Guyana to the UN and candidate for the organization's Secretary-General, Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, said while speaking at the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington, Report informs.

"Attention at the UN is quite rightly focused on reforms. In my opinion, the call for transformation has never sounded so urgent," she emphasized.

Rodrigues Birkett suggested reflecting on the extent to which structures created in 1945 correspond to the realities of 2026.

According to her, not only the UN Security Council requires reform, but also the organization's numerous agencies, funds, and programs, which number more than 35.

"Do they meet today's requirements? Can we reduce or completely eliminate the duplication of functions to work more effectively directly on the ground?" the diplomat noted.

She clarified that UN Security Council reform falls under the competence of member states, whereas the Secretary-General can directly address the transformation of the UN Secretariat.

Rodrigues Birkett emphasized the need to increase the Secretariat's efficiency and strengthen its interaction with member states.

"There are 19 years left until the 100th anniversary of the UN's founding, and now is the very time to reform and transform the organization," she concluded.