FM Szijjártó: Hungary backs urgent UN reform to overcome liberal obstacles

Hungary has an interest in the survival and effective operation of the UN, therefore the government is ready to participate in joint work for a genuine and rapid reform of the organisation, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook after his visit to New York on Thursday.

After meeting Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General of the UN for Policy, Szijjártó said the world organisation was facing serious challenges so its leaders should finally move out of their comfort zone if they wanted to save the institution, which was now the last truly universal, inclusive platform for East-West dialogue, the ministry said in a statement.

US President “Donald Trump’s criticisms are justified, the UN is not functioning effectively today, in many cases, it is obstructed by the liberal mainstream, so it often grows too independent of its member states rather than helping them,” Szijjártó said.

“However, the situation can be remedied: we need to eliminate duplication and streamline the organisation, cut unnecessary costs, and focus on real global challenges,” he added. “Budapest has proven that the decentralisation of the UN’s operation is the right direction, there are several UN institutions operating effectively in Budapest, and we are ready to host even more,” Péter Szijjártó said.

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