Appointment of US envoy in Geneva raises hopes for UN engagement

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By Emma Farge

GENEVA, Feb 12 (Reuters) – The United States plans to fill its long-vacant U.N. ambassador post in Geneva, a step diplomats welcomed as a sign that Washington aims to stay engaged with the global body.

U.S. President Donald Trump has described the U.N. as having “great potential”, while criticising it for failing to support U.S.-led peace efforts and launching a board of peace that some fear could be a rival to the global body. 

The U.S. owes the U.N. core budget over $2 billion, for which it has said it will make a down payment as it pushes for reform.

The White House said late on Wednesday that Todd Steggerda, a lawyer and former U.S. Navy pilot from Virginia, had been selected for the Geneva post, subject to Senate approval.

“A senior appointment into the U.N. system could be a good sign that they are engaging,” said Adam Day, head of the Geneva office of the U.N. University Centre for Policy Research. 

“At least the U.S. will listen now,” said one Western diplomat. 

Although Washington traditionally assigns four ambassadors to Geneva, only one — WTO envoy Joseph Barloon — has been in place since Trump’s appointment.

In January, Trump announced a U.S. withdrawal from dozens of international organisations and U.N. entities, saying they operated contrary to U.S. national interests.

The U.S. formally left the Geneva-based World Health Organization the same month and a year ago disengaged from the U.N. Human Rights Council, although it has remained active in some Geneva-based U.N. agencies that shape standards for businesses.

(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Aidan Lewis)