IAEA Chief Admits UN Struggles to Resolve Global Issues, Seeks Top UN Post
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a candidate for the post of United Nations Secretary-General, acknowledged on Saturday that a global view suggests the UN has been unsuccessful in confronting present international crises and has insufficient participation in resolving them. He made these statements without referencing the ongoing actions by the Israeli regime against the people of Palestine, nor the reported US and Israeli incursions into Iranian territory, nor the UN’s perceived inertia regarding these events. Grossi’s comments were made in a promotional interview with the RIA Novosti news agency.
Grossi admitted, “There is a widespread view that the United Nations is not performing adequately in the face of these challenges, and we are witnessing a lack of sufficient engagement from this organization, particularly the Secretariat and the Secretary-General himself, in addressing the numerous problems we face today.”
The IAEA Director-General, who has not, at least in relation to condemning US and Israeli incursions into Iran or peaceful nuclear facilities, fulfilled his duties or maintained the international body’s neutrality, claimed, “Our scope of activities is more limited: non-proliferation, issues related to nuclear weapons, nuclear material, and energy. However, this experience can be applied here, in New York, where the scope of duties is broader and the problems are considerably more numerous!”
According to his assertion, the current process for selecting the UN Secretary-General differs from previous instances due to the high level of international tensions, ongoing wars, and doubts surrounding the UN’s capacity to respond effectively to current events.
Members of the UN Security Council are currently conducting a straw poll to select a candidate for the Secretary-General position, who will then be presented to the UN General Assembly. The General Assembly, as per the UN Charter, holds the responsibility for the formal appointment of the Secretary-General. The Security Council’s voting process is conducted in secret.
Among the contenders for the next UN Secretary-General post are María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés of Ecuador, Vuk Jeremić of Serbia, François Hollande of France, Miroslav Lajčák of Slovakia, António Guterres of Portugal, and Srgjan Kerim of North Macedonia.
