UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres Stefano Gennarini
NEW YORK, January 26 (C-Fam) — Nations expressed concern about UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ plan to give UN bureaucrats in every country enhanced political and budgetary powers this week at UN headquarters. They say it will undermine their sovereign prerogatives and national priorities.
“Resident coordinators will continue reporting to me!” Guterres exclaimed in a packed Economic and Social Council Chamber on Monday. In a loud voice, he urged states to confide in his ability to ensure the impartiality of the bureaucracy he leads, perhaps betraying his frustration after several weeks of closely held consultations with ambassadors to avoid public disagreements that would undermine his plan for UN development reform.
The Group of 77 and China, which represents 127 developing nations, expressed concerns about the powers, appointment, and accountability of “UN resident coordinators” under the plan. So did many others individually, including the Russian Federation.
Until now, resident coordinators have exercised a primarily protocol role, mediating between nations and UN departments and agencies. Under Guterres’ plan they would have power to assess what policies to emphasize in countries, coordinate UN agencies and departments, and find ways to
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