75 years ago, it was on this day that the Charter of the United Nations brought our foremost international organisation into existence. Its purpose has been “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”, strengthen human rights, facilitate the rule of law, and promote social progress. Since then, the world has changed a lot. Is the organisation still fit for purpose? Was it ever? Maybe these are not even the right questions to ask. (for the Fun Facts, scroll down - but then come back!)
I still remember the first time I entered the compound that stretches between the 42nd and 48th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Making it through security, you find yourself engulfed in a whirling crowd of diplomats. They are from all corners of the world, as diverse as it gets, not only in colour, also in thinking. And yet, it feels like coming home, returning to Planet Earth after journeying the million galaxies of the universe.
The UN is the only place in the world that really belongs to everyone
(at least in theory, but alas…politics): the Hungarian flag waves proudly with all the other 192, and on the corridor between the Security Council and the Trusteeship Chamber, you find one our famous porcelain vases from the city of Herend. This place is ours, as much as it is everyone’s. We give to it, share in it and receive. I believe that is where everything about the UN starts.
Now, away with the pathos. Yes, the UN might be lovely as an idea but in practice it cannot do much to fulfil its purpose. All we see is political deadlock, inefficiency on the ground, inflated salaries and member states that keep ignoring whatever the organisation stands for on paper. What do we need it for then? Usually this is what I hear from most people who ask me about the organisation.
I say, we need it because to solve anything, we need to talk: the UN is our common language to discuss conflicts and challenges, the forum to talk when tensions run high, and all those people who try to make this process easier.
Essentially, the UN is about communication, words.
You could jump right at it: he admitted it, the UN is all talk, no action. Before you pass judgement, I invite you to run a counterfactual: have you ever tried solving a conflict without talking to the other side about it? I recall one time when I returned a punch. It did not solve anything, talking did. If we could not discuss it, we would have beaten each other to death.
We underestimate the power of words, listening and frank exchange because we take them for granted. But it is never guaranteed. In our time, we see countries seeking selfish interests again, besieging the structures of multilateralism. We need a reliable organisation protecting it to preserve our ability to solve conflicts and global challenges. So don’t discount the role of facilitating communication.
But do not get me wrong either. The UN does a lot beyond talking, we just rarely give due credit for it. Peacekeeping, coordinated humanitarian response, health cooperation, I could go on forever. I will highlight one: the Sustainable Development Goals. This set of targets, way of talking and commitment truly changed how we think, talk and act about building our societies. Unfortunately, we are still not on track to stop climate change or protect our biodiversity, but we have received the vocabulary, the toolset to make that progress. Without it, we would stand no chance. So thank you, UN!
Yet, as an organisation there is only so much the UN can do. Its regular budget of 3 billion US dollars is less than 5 percent of the annual budget of a small state like Hungary.
Expecting it to solve the problems of the world is more than naïve. We must remember that the UN is what we put in it, together. When it is inefficient or functions improperly (which it undoubtedly does), we should first look at the collective of its member states: ourselves. And ask:
Are we doing at least the bare minimum? Have we done everything to make it work better? Both answers are a “no”, so it’s time to take a deep, hard look in the mirror and up our game for the sake of humanity.
Happy 75th birthday, United Nations!
And now, 5(+1) Fun Facts:
1. Every 24 October, there is a UN Day Concert in the General Assembly Hall
As per tradition, a concert is held on the birthday of the UN each year, and it is always a different member state hosting it. So if you do it, you are not likely to host again for a hundred years at least. Now you can imagine how lucky I was to be there when Hungary decided to take the stage. I will never forget listening to our wonderful soprano, Andrea Rost singing “A Csitári Hegyek Alatt” below the laurels in the GA Hall. You can watch the whole concert here. Additional fact: the theme was #FreedomFirst, as 24 October 2016 was just a day after the 60th anniversary of our 1956 uprising against Soviet oppression.
2. The “Red D” badge takes you everywhere
Common sense would dictate that once they let you in, you are more or less free to explore. Not in the UN! Movement is heavily restricted when you are an NGO, external guest, administrative staff or junior secretariat member. The magical solution is the “Red D” badge, which is given to members of national delegations. It does not only give you access to the vast majority of areas, but also allows you to bring external guests to the 2nd floor of the conference building, where you have the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the so-called North Delegates Lounge too. The lounge looks a lot like IKEA (thanks to Sweden’s generous donation for the refurbishment) and staff is generally rude (seriously), but at least they hold an “International Gin & Tonic Day” on 17 October.
3. It is not in the plenary sessions where real negotiation happens
Most people know the UN for the fancy, long and boring speeches in the GA Hall and think that is where politics happens. But in reality, most of the important stuff happens behind closed doors. It can be a bilateral between two member states or a multilateral meeting, but when it is about resolutions the key place is an ‘informal’ (the picture is just illustration, I did not take pictures in informals). That is where delegates meet to discuss the wording of texts to be passed in committees. Sometimes, it gets quite heated too. I have heard diplomats throwing juicy insults at each other at such sessions. You wouldn’t guess how upset people can get over the placing of commas. Rightly so. Sometimes it means the difference between life or death.
4. The UN General Assembly had a Hungarian President
Ban Ki-Moon, while still in office as the Secretary-General of the UN, visited the city of Budapest to accept a honorary degree from Corvinus University. Thanks to a good friend, I was invited to listen to his talk. Upon arrival, I noticed an old gentleman looking for the entrance. I offered my help to show him to his seat. As we were walking on the riverfront, he told me that back in his day dignitaries did not have the same huge convoys we have today. Curious about his experience, I asked what was his job. He answered: my name is Imre Hollai, I used to be the President of the 37th Session of the UN General Assembly.
5. There is a secret piano at the UN that you can play
I love music, and wherever I go I look for instruments I could play. This was not different at the UN either. On my first day, I asked security if they knew where to find a piano. Reluctant to give out this top secret information, they just waved hands in a direction and told me that I might get lucky that way. So, I will also leave you with a trivia:
Below the earth, with books above,
Where the memory of briefings resound,
Stairs taken, and beyond the door,
In the darkness, an old Steinway I’ve found.
+1 Sometimes you meet completely random people on the spot
Yes, you can meet anyone at the UN. Politicians, diplomats, Greta Thunberg, Leo di Caprio, academics…even Lindsay Lohan. One day, I was working in the Delegates Lounge with my Czech colleague, when she noticed Ms Lohan at another table. I’ll be honest, I had no clue who she was, but my friend insisted that Mean Girls was huge, so I suggested we talk to her after her meeting. As she was leaving, we walked after only to find her taking selfies on the flag corridor as any ‘tourist’ would who makes it on the 2nd floor. With the pressure gone, we approached her and chatted for a few minutes about the importance of having Youth Delegates. Then, she took a selfie with us too. We still don’t know what she was doing at the UN…