New York — The United States Representative to the United Nations for Management and Reform, Ambassador Jeff Bartos, has emphasized the need for strategic leadership across the UN system, urging the world body to focus squarely on its core mandate of humanitarian delivery and operational effectiveness.
Addressing foreign correspondents in New York, Bartos acknowledged that while “great leaders exist in the UN system,” the organization must prioritize what it does best: “delivering lifesaving aid, food, medicine, and shelter.” He said the UN’s capacity to provide humanitarian assistance at scale—supported by a robust global supply chain—“deserves commendation.”
According to the U.S. envoy, UN agencies should sharpen their focus and avoid overstretch.
“UN officials should really double and triple down on what they’re great at and try to do less of the things that they’re just not that good at,” Bartos said, drawing on his background as a businessman‑turned‑diplomat.
Fresh from his first official visit to the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)Bartos shared first‑hand insights into UN peacekeeping operations in Africa and other conflict zones.
He highlighted the complexities and operational realities of missions such as the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), headquartered in Kinshasa.
Bartos stressed that peacekeeping operations must be managed with discipline, purpose, and long‑term planning.
“Peacekeeping missions must have clear objectives, milestones, benchmarks, and clear exit strategies,” he said.
Expanding on this, Bartos explained that mission leaders should be thinking about an exit plan from the very beginning. “What is the exit plan that I’ll be working towards? What is my goal four years down the road? How do I work backwards from there now?” he asked, adding that while conditions on the ground often change, “without a road map and a plan, it’s really hard to know if you’re succeeding, moving forward, or falling back.”
As the U.S. Representative to the UN for Management and Reform, Bartos oversees budgetary oversight, accountability mechanisms, and administrative reform within the UN system.
He made clear that his mandate includes significant cost reductions, including: cutting the UN regular budget by 15 percent; reducing the peacekeeping budget by at least 15 percent; and eliminating approximately 2,600 bureaucratic positions.
These measures, he said, are aimed at tackling systemic inefficiencies, reducing unnecessary administrative overhead, and ensuring accountability for U.S. taxpayer contributions—the largest share of UN funding.
While applauding the generosity of the United States toward the UN, Bartos underscored Washington’s firm stance on misconduct within UN missions.
“The United States has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse,” he said, stressing the need to repatriate underperforming or abusive troops and to enforce accountability across peacekeeping operations.
Africa, Leadership, and Security Council Reform
Responding to questions about governance challenges in Africa and long‑standing calls for UN Security Council reform, including permanent representation for Africa, Bartos offered personal reflections from his recent travels.
He said interactions with ordinary citizens during his visits left him with a distinct impression:
“My perception was that of a continent full of gratitude for the generosity of the United States,”
he remarked.
On the question of Security Council reform, Bartos acknowledged the limits of his role in achieving structural change, noting that decisions on permanent membership require broad international consensus beyond his mandate.
John Peter Freire, Director of Communications, United States Mission to the United States and Shawn Tenbrink, the Media Relations Officer of the New York Foreign Press Center attended the media briefing.
