'Inefficient, bloated bureaucracy!' - Waltz blasts UN, asserts next leader must be 'aligned with US values and interests'

"US lawmakers voiced sharply differing views on the future of the United Nations during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on reforming the organisation, with some accusing the body of inefficiency and bias, while others defended it as an essential platform for global cooperation. Speaking at the session in Washington DC on Wednesday, Republican Senator James Risch criticised the UN as failing to deliver for American taxpayers. "The UN has become an inefficient and bloated bureaucracy that has departed from its original mandate… focusing on politicised mandates and woke ideology," he said, accusing many agencies of displaying 'anti-American and anti-Israeli biases'. Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen offered a contrasting view, stressing the importance of multilateral cooperation. "American power is strongest when we are exercising it with allies," she said, warning that Washington risked losing legitimacy by acting without broader international support and increasingly aligning its UN voting with countries such as Russia and China. US Ambassador to the UN Michael Waltz responded, signalling that Washington will likely oppose the candidacy of former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, and describing a potential change in leadership as a 'turning point'. "I can assure you reform along the lines of development aid, humanitarian aid, and getting back to basics on peace and security will be at the top of our criteria," he said. "I think the United States will absolutely be prepared to ensure that the next Secretary General is aligned with American values and interests," he added. The hearing also highlighted divisions over the upcoming selection of a new UN Secretary-General. Republican Senator Pete Ricketts raised concerns over potential candidates, reaffirming calls for leadership that prioritises 'accountability, transparency' and aligns with US interests. The United Nations is currently in the selection process to find a successor for outgoing Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term is set to end this year. Since returning to office, the Trump administration has retreated from the UN, issuing a memorandum to withdraw from 31 UN entities and cutting billions in funding."

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