Inside Story

UN: Facing unprecedented challenges?

Conflicts and crises around the world are forcing the United Nations to make difficult choices.

The United Nations is facing unprecedented demand for humanitarian assistance, and says it has less than half the money required to meet its needs.

Crises from Syria, Iraq and Libya to Ukraine, Somalia and Central African Republic are stretching the UN to breaking point.

They have also generated more refugees in the world than at any time since the end of the Second World War. The challenge of dealing with those conflicts has now been compounded by an outbreak of Ebola in West Africa.

World leaders are holding their annual meeting at the UN headquarters in New York to take stock of the tasks at hand.

In this special edition of Inside Story, James Bays looks at the competing demands being made on the UN for its time, money and resources, and how competing interests are influencing choices and decisions.

Presenter: James Bays

Guests:

John Ashe – former President of the United Nations General Assembly

Vandi Chidi Minah – Sierra Leone’s ambassador to the United Nations

Amatlain Elizabeth Kabua – Marshall Islands ambassador to the United Nations