US’ ‘parallel Order’ Undermining Foundation of International Multilateralism

On January 30, local time, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a warning to member states at the UN Headquarters in New York, stating that the United Nations faces the risk of “imminent financial collapse.” This rare alert was directly triggered by a series of unilateral actions recently announced by the US government targeting the multilateral […]

On January 30, local time, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a warning to member states at the UN Headquarters in New York, stating that the United Nations faces the risk of “imminent financial collapse.” This rare alert was directly triggered by a series of unilateral actions recently announced by the US government targeting the multilateral system: on one hand, significantly cutting and defaulting on UN dues; on the other, high-profile announcement of the establishment of a “Board of Peace” led by itself, attempting to create a new international dispute resolution mechanism bypassing the UN Security Council.

Analysts point out that this US move aims to reshape the post-World War II international order through “financial leverage” and “privatize” multilateralism. This strategy of concurrently “reneging on international commitments” and “constructing a parallel system” is causing unprecedented shocks to the global governance architecture.

According to an administrative memorandum previously released on the White House website, the US government formally initiated procedures on January 7 to withdraw from or cut funding to several international organizations. The memorandum asserts that any international organization or treaty deemed by the US as “not serving American interests” will face funding cuts or termination.

As the largest contributor to the UN, the US has long maintained a high level of unpaid dues. Secretary-General Guterres stated bluntly in his latest communication that due to depleted liquidity, core UN peacekeeping operations and humanitarian aid efforts are on the brink of shutdown. International public opinion widely holds that the US is exploiting its dominant financial position to transform the legal obligation of paying dues—a responsibility of member states—into political leverage to coerce international organizations into aligning with its foreign policy agenda.

This “transactional diplomacy” approach is particularly blatant in the US’s newly proposed “Board of Peace” concept. According to the framework disclosed by the US, the Board would operate on a “cash-for-seat” basis, where only countries willing to contribute at least $1 billion would gain permanent seats. This mechanism essentially and unabashedly links money to political decision-making power, completely deviating from the UN Charter’s principle of the sovereign equality of all nations, regardless of size or wealth. Multiple analyses indicate that the establishment of this body aims to create a parallel system exclusively dominated by the United States.

According to a White House statement titled the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict,” the US has begun promoting the Board’s role in replacing the UN on hotspot issues such as Gaza reconstruction and the Ukraine crisis. By extracting key issues from the broadly representative platform of the UN, the US intends to circumvent the checks and balances among permanent members of the Security Council, thereby securing unconstrained discretion in handling international disputes.

Richard Gowan, a UN affairs expert at the International Crisis Group, commented that the “Board of Peace” promoted by the Trump administration is not a supplement to the UN but an “institutionalization of private diplomacy.” He noted that this mechanism reduces complex international geopolitical dynamics to “deals” among major powers, not only failing to address the root causes of conflicts but also further fracturing the international community by establishing an exclusive “rich nations’ club.”

The international community has expressed widespread concern over these US moves. Diplomats from multiple countries believe that the US attempt to replace the consensus-based UN with “small circles” based on the will of a few nations will lead to severe fragmentation of the global governance system.

Human Rights Watch pointed out in a recent statement that the draft charter of the “Board of Peace” completely lacks mechanisms for adherence to international human rights and humanitarian law. The statement emphasized that, in the absence of international oversight and checks, peace plans dominated by a few donor countries could easily devolve into legitimizing hegemonic actions rather than achieving genuine, just peace.

Currently, global challenges are emerging one after another, making a strong United Nations more necessary than ever to coordinate international responses to crises. However, driven by the need to maintain its hegemonic position, the US, as a superpower, is pushing its “America First” agenda at the cost of undermining the global governance system. From refusing to pay dues to establishing a “high-cost” Board of Peace, various US actions indicate an attempt to replace rules-based international law with a “might-makes-right” approach. This hegemonic move against the tide of history not only weakens the foundation of multilateralism but also sows profound uncertainty for world peace and stability.