As world leaders gather at the United Nations General Assembly, former U.S. diplomat Hugh Dugan is urging Washington to demand accountability from the organization. Dugan, who served as President Donald Trump’s envoy for hostage affairs in the first administration and advised 11 U.S. ambassadors to the U.N., argues that the U.S. should condition its 20-30% contribution to the UN budget on progress in reforming the organization. ‘We are the host country. We were an architect of the U.N. So, yes, I believe that the president is going to come with a conditional mindset,’ he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Dugan warned that the U.N. has failed to address major global conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine and Israel’s offensive in Gaza, and must begin providing ‘reports to shareholders’ — a yearly breakdown of where money is spent and what change it generates. ‘We need to see an organization that is effective and efficient, or we need to move on,’ he asserted. ‘It has had plenty of opportunity. It hasn’t risen to the occasion.’
China’s growing diplomatic influence within the U.N. is a key concern for Dugan. He noted that Beijing is building its ‘diplomatic bench’ and mastering the rules of multilateral diplomacy, which could shift the organization’s priorities toward authoritarian goals. ‘China is investing in its diplomatic talent from the ground up, and they are going to master the multilateral game relatively soon,’ he said. ‘We need to invest in our own skill set — a thicker bench that understands this place — and beat China on fair ground.’
Dugan also highlighted the importance of the upcoming U.N. secretary-general election next year, arguing that members must communicate clear expectations to candidates to shape the organization’s future. While the current assembly may not resolve critical global conflicts, Dugan pointed out that the U.N. remains a powerful platform for behind-the-scenes diplomacy. ‘The power of the U.N., where they enable people to talk with each other without expectations from the public,’ he said.
As Trump prepares to address the General Assembly, Dugan stressed the urgency for the U.S. to demand performance from the U.N. or risk ceding influence to rival powers. ‘The single most important message,’ he argued, ‘is that the U.N. must perform if it wants continued American support. Otherwise, we’ll look elsewhere — and China will be all too ready to fill the void.’ Dugan’s comments reflect a broader conservative concern about the U.S. retaining leadership in global institutions amid rising competition from authoritarian states.