New UN chief says better training needed for peacekeepers
BEIJING — The United Nations’ incoming secretary-general said Monday that he wants U.N. peacekeepers to be better trained and more respectful of human rights, amid pressure on the organization to address a series of sexual abuse allegations.
Antonio Guterres, who takes over from Ban Ki-moon on Jan. 1, also said the U.N. needs to be more nimble and less bureaucratic.
He spoke after meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. China is one of the U.N.’s largest financial backers, and Guterres said it could be an important peace broker in conflicts around the world.
Guterres told a news conference that he wants to make sure the different parts of the U.N. “work for the same purpose” without duplicating efforts. He said they also need to be subject to independent public evaluation.