Trump says UN reforms needed, praises Guterres's policies

US President Donald Trump said at the UN that the international organisation was in need of reform, but he praised the policies being implemented by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"In recent years, the UN has not reached its full potential because of bureaucracy and mismanagement. While the UN on a regular budget has increased by 140 per cent, and its staff has more than doubled since 2000, we are not seeing the results in line with this investment," Trump said on Monday during a gathering organised by the US to discuss the need for reform at the global organisation.

Trump, a long-time critic of the UN, praised the work being done by Guterres, saying that "under the secretary-general, that's changing and it's changing fast. And we've seen it", Efe news reported.

"I applaud the Secretary-General for laying out a vision to reform the UN so that it better serves the people we all represent. We support your efforts to look across the entire system and to find ways the UN can better, and be better at development, management, peace and security," Trump said.

The US leader said UN member states should move beyond the old ways of doing things and avoid getting trapped in processes that do not work.

"To honour the people of our nations, we must ensure that no one and no member state shoulders a disproportionate share of the burden, and that's militarily or financially...They deserve to see the value in the United Nations, and it is our job to show it to them," Trump said.

Trump, who has threatened to slash the US contribution to the global organization since taking office, praised the work being done by the UN.

Guterres, for his part, said the global organization's work was being hampered by bureaucracy and excessive rules.

"Someone out to undermine the UN could not have come up with a better way to do it than by imposing some of the rules we have created ourselves," the Portuguese diplomat said.

--IANS

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