Appointment of US envoy in Geneva raises hopes for UN engagement

GENEVA – The United States plans to fill its long-vacant UN ambassador post in Geneva, a step diplomats welcomed as a sign that Washington aims to stay engaged with the global body.

US President Donald Trump has described the United Nations as having “great potential”, while criticising it for failing to support US-led peace efforts and

launching the Board of Peace

that some fear could be a rival to the global body.

The US

owes the UN core budget over US$2 billion (S$2.52 billion),

for which it has said it will make a down payment as it pushes for reform.

The White House said late on Feb 11 that Mr Todd Steggerda, a lawyer and former US Navy pilot from Virginia, had been selected for the Geneva post, subject to Senate approval.

“A senior appointment into the UN system could be a good sign that they are engaging,” said Mr Adam Day, head of the Geneva office of the UN University Centre for Policy Research.

“At least the US will listen now,” said one Western diplomat.

Although Washington traditionally assigns four ambassadors to Geneva, only one – World Trade Organization envoy Joseph Barloon – has been in place since Mr Trump’s appointment.

In January, Mr Trump announced a

US withdrawal from dozens of international organisations

and UN entities, saying they operated contrary to US national interests.

The US formally left the Geneva-based World Health Organization the same month and a year ago disengaged from the UN Human Rights Council, although it has remained active in some Geneva-based UN agencies that shape standards for businesses. REUTERS