Nothing says Holiday Cheer like Fighting over Money. And the U.S. is Drowning in Cheer. as it Wrangles over what it calls the “Budget Negotiation from Hell.”
UN Negotiators, who are holed up in a Basement staring down a Deadline of Dec. 24th to Hammer Out a $3.2 billion Budget that needs to be Slashed by roughly 15%, though there’s a chance Talks could go through the Holidays until Dec. 31st, 2025.
Experts say there is Little Hope of hitting either Deadline, unless Governments Drop their Demands for Line-by-Line Changes and instead Agree to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres’ Budget, and His Blueprint for Reform known as UN80.
“It’s almost like a game of chicken,” says Daniel Forti, Head of U.N. Aaffairs for the International Crisis Group. “If you open this up to line-by-line negotiations, then everyone’s in real trouble, because it’s just too much to do in too short a period of time.”
But Governments are digging in, Loading the Budget with a Wish List of additional Programs, or Additional Cuts, according to an Internal Mmemo that Documents several Hundred Government Proposals to the U.N. Draft Budget.
The U.S. is Forcefully pushing for Deep Financial Cuts beyond 15%, targeting Staff Benefits, Funding for Palestinian Relief, and a Host of other Programs.
In many ways, the Negotiations are Relitigating Familiar Feuds over U.N. Priorities. China and the Group of 77 are Pressing to Secure more Top Jobs for Nationals from the Global South. The U.S. and Israel want to Zero-Oout Funding to UNRWA, the Aid Agency for Palestinian Refugees. And even Neutral Switzerland is getting in on the Act, Cautioning U.N. Staff against Abandoning Geneva for Cheaper Digs.
But if they want some Semblance of a Holiday Season, Negotiators will have to get Rreal and Compromise, and Fast. In the coming days, an Agreement will take everyone willing to Compromise or else Pushing it “Down to the Wire.”
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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