The Prime Minister delivered a clear message in her UN General Assembly speech, voicing frustration at how billions of pounds is squandered on bureaucracy, botched aid projects and other schemes.
She spoke fondly of the UN’s overall aims of international peace and co-operation, calling it an “amplifying force” that enables nations to “live up to these standards in word, spirit and deed, to our collective and individual benefit”.
But she said unless sweeping refroms were made, the UK Goverment is willing to cut Britain’s annual £90million basic UN membership contribution by nearly a third.
“If this system we have created is found no longer to be capable of meeting the challenges of our time – then there will be a crisis of faith in multilateralism and global co-operation that will damage the interests of all our peoples,” she said.
“So those of us who hold true to our shared values – who hold true to that desire to defend the rules and high standards that have shaped and protected the world we live in – need to strive harder than ever to show that institutions like this United Nations can work for the countries that formed them, and for the people who we represent.
“This means reforming our United Nations and the wider international system so it can prove its worth in helping us to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.”
Her intervention followed criticism of the UN from US President Donald Trump.
Mrs May said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and UNICEF, which helps children in danger, deserved praise for “vital missions” around the world.
“But we should also acknowledge that throughout its history the UN has suffered from a seemingly unbridgeable gap between the nobility of its purposes and the effectiveness of its delivery,” she said.
“When the need for multilateral action has never been greater, the shortcomings of the UN and its institutions risk undermining the confidence of States as members and donors. Even more importantly, they risk the confidence and faith of those who rely upon the blue helmets; who rely upon that sign I stand in front of today coming to their aid in the darkest of hours.”
Mrs May urged world leaders to support a reform plan to “create a more agile, transparent and joined up organisation”.
She called for “real leadership” to confront damaging issues that have beset the UN.
Mrs May vowed that Britain would continue giving billions in overseas aid to UN projects and contribute troops to UN peacekeeping operations around the world.
But she added: “In turn the UN and its agencies must win our trust by proving to us and the people we represent that they can deliver.
“That is why we will remain generous in our funding but set aside 30 per cent to be paid only to those parts of the UN that achieve sufficient results.”
Mrs May also repeated a call she made last year for the UN to do more to tackle illegal migration.
“On migration, our starting point must be that it can benefit both countries and migrants themselves – but only when it is safe, orderly, well managed and legal.
“If we do not manage this effectively, we will fail both our own citizens and those taking these dangerous journeys.
“And we will push more people into the curse of modern slavery and the hands of the human traffickers and organised criminal groups that drive this inhuman industry.”
The UN needed to do more to encourage private-sector enterprise to help with aid projects to help lift developing nations out of poverty.
“For the truth is that despite our best efforts, we are not succeeding. We must do more,” she said.
(Additional reporting by Macer Hall)