IAEA chief urges UN to scale back non-core activities

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a candidate for the post of UN secretary-general, has called for a “reset” of the United Nations and a reduction in its non-core activities.

In an opinion article published by The Economist, Grossi argued that decades of expansion of the UN’s mandate had resulted in the organization taking on too many responsibilities while delivering limited results relative to the resources used.

He said the UN should “do less” and establish clearer priorities, focusing on crisis prevention and the three core pillars of its work: peace and security, human rights, and economic development.

Grossi said the UN should continue working with regional organizations and development banks, but should avoid taking on tasks that those institutions are better equipped to handle.

Grossi is among several candidates seeking to become the next UN secretary-general. Other candidates include Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica; former Chilean President and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet; former Senegalese President Macky Sall; former Ecuadorian Foreign and Defence Minister María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés; Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett; and former Ecuadorian ambassador to the United States and France Ivonne Baki.

By Vafa Guliyeva