Response to the Report by the Secretary General
As delivered by Deputy Chief of Mission Courtney Austrian
to the Permanent Council, Vienna
March 9, 2023
Thank you, Secretary General, for your indeed very sobering report.
First of all, let me start by saying that I echo your call for the release of our SMM colleagues. And I want to thank you for keeping this item high on our agenda.
Related to the budget. Many of my colleagues in this room have already articulated the work of this organization, the value of its existence and the risks that we are facing far more articulately than I could ever hope to. And I want to thank them for that.
The United States has worked in good faith on budgetary issues my entire time here in Vienna, and I can assure you that we will continue to do so. And on behalf of my delegation, let me assure you, Mr. Chair and Madam Secretary General, that we are ready to work with you and others to overcome the challenges we as an organization are facing.
To my fellow representatives in the room, ignoring the lack of a unified budget and the real challenges posed by the inflationary pressures caused by Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine does not make the bureaucratic problems our organization faces go away. If anything, it makes them worse. And it is incumbent upon all of us to work together to address and resolve the important issues raised this afternoon by our Secretary General.
Thank you, Secretary General.
###
