France Advocates for Ambitious UN System Reform

On August 1, 2025, Jérôme Bonnafont, France's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, underscored the need for sweeping reforms within the UN system during an informal General Assembly meeting in New York. He articulated France's commitment to support reform initiatives put forth by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the ONU 80 task force, led by Guy Ryder. Bonnafont emphasized that these reforms are essential for addressing global challenges such as peace, security, human rights, and development.

Bonnafont criticized the existing reform measures, particularly the "Unis dans l’action" and "ONE UN" initiatives, claiming that they have not fulfilled their potential, leading to inefficiencies like duplicated efforts and obstructed communication among UN agencies. He called for the operational methods of the UN to be rationalized, advocating for accountability in delegations and the reduction of unnecessary meetings.

Moreover, he highlighted a proposal for implementing automatic expiration clauses for mandates to boost UN action effectiveness. Bonnafont reiterated that France is fully invested in the Secretary-General's reform agenda, advocating for prompt and thorough actions to realize these critical changes.