The crises that have impacted the world in 2020 show that commitment to multilateralism is more relevant than ever, Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said in an address at the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, underscoring the need to refom that world organisation.

The crises of 2020, such as the coronavirus pandemic and the consequent economic downturn, “clearly showed that our collective commitment to multilateralism is more relevant than ever,” Plenkovic said via video link.

The current crises must not lead to isolationism in the international community but motivate readiness for cooperation in the spirit of solidarity and mutual support, and no other organisation is better placed than the United Nations for global delivery of the goals of international cooperation, he said.

That is why “we need a United Nations fit for the 21st century,” Plenkovic said, calling for a reform of the organisation, including its founding document, the UN Charter, as well as of the Security Council, the most powerful body in the UN in which relations reflect the situation at the end of World War II.

“Our organisation has to maintian its core values and principles on which it has been founded but it must also reflect the realites and needs of our times,” he added.

Critics often call out the UN for allegedly irrational spending, slowness to act, failure to implement its decisions and bias in adopting them.

The organisation’s budget last year lacked 768 million of a total of 2.85 billion US dollars because 51 countries did not meet their financial obligations, including Brazil and the USA, Reuters has reported.

Experts underline that the financial problems are a symptom of a broader crisis of confidence in that institution.