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Hello, this is Kasmira. In March, the United States Congress ended months of uncertainty when it approved a spending package for 2024, including what it owes to the United Nations, which by this point was severely hamstrung by the lack of funds from its largest contributor. While cash problems are a regular occurrence for the organisation, this year has marked one of the most acute yet, pointing to a multilateral system under increasing pressure, as my colleague Michelle Langrand reported this month. Do not miss our event on the topic on 15 May at the Geneva Press Club.
In the world of aid, money troubles are rarely isolated from geopolitical problems nor without acute local repercussions, as the UN Palestinian aid agency has experienced first-hand. It’s also been the case for the ICRC, which is finally on a more stable footing after a drastic turnaround, as its new head Pierre Krähenbühl explains.
The United Nations – and the League of Nations before it – have counted hundreds of thousands of employees since their inception, some more famous than others. Author Ian Fleming would only spend three months at the League, but it would be enough to inspire the name of his secret agent, James Bond, as the author of Fleming’s new biography explained at the Société de Lecture last month. |
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UN European headquarters in Geneva, 25 March 2024. (Geneva Solutions/Michelle Langrand)
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Pierre Krähenbühl, director general of the ICRC, in the organisation's headquarters in Geneva on 26 April 2024. (Le Temps/David Wagnières)
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Here's what else happened this month
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Tourists and baby seals and their mother on Mosquera Island, Galápagos, 29 February 2024. (Geneva Solutions/Paula Dupraz-Dobias)
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Join us at our next event!
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Behind the UN liquidity crunch, a multilateral system in crisis?
The United Nations has been facing its worst liquidity crunch, forcing it to adopt several aggressive cost-saving measures. At this event, Geneva Solutions with guest speakers Michael Møller, former director general at the UN in Geneva, and Maya Ungar, UN analyst at the International Crisis Group, will discuss its latest reporting on the UN’s money woes and the wider implications for the multilateral system. Register to attend in person at the Domaine de Penthes, where an apéritif will follow the event, or to participate online.
Geneva Solutions & Geneva Press Club (EN)
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