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Envoy to China defends UN’s place amid shifting geopolitics, changing order and emerging threats
- ‘It can either be dynamic or become a dinosaur,’ says Siddharth Chatterjee of the United Nations
- He says rather than accuse China of ‘debt-trap diplomacy’ the international community should improve governance of belt and road projects overseas
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The United Nations’ new envoy to China has defended international cooperation under the platform, saying it is still crucial for resolving global challenges even though it has been criticised as an inefficient talk shop.
Siddharth Chatterjee said the UN was adapting to the changing world order.
His remarks came as the rise of emerging powers and new global threats were putting stress on the post-World War II international system. The previous United States administration of Donald Trump expressed belief that the body had become obsolete as US foreign policy tilted towards a more transactional, nationalist approach.
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“The UN itself is at an inflection point. It can either be dynamic or become a dinosaur,” Chatterjee told the South China Morning Post.
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The 76-year old agency continues to face questions over its relevance as criticism raised by the Trump administration is shared among the American elites who argue that the United States can better advance its interests through smaller, more agile platforms such as the G7.
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