Eugene Chen
@casquebleu.org
Non-resident adviser, @ipinst.bsky.social // United Nations peace operations and institutional reform | previously NYU CIC, Met Opera, UN EOSG, UN Peacekeeping, USUN | views my own; RT≠endorsement
An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur?
An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur?
Pinned
The US Memo on Withdrawing from UN Organizations Is More Bark Than Bite - IPI Global Observatory
Last night, the Trump administration finally announced the long-awaited results of its 180-day review of US membership in international organizations, conventions, and treaties. It announced that it w...
theglobalobservatory.org
We finally have the long-awaited outcome of the Trump administration review of U.S. participation in international organizations.
TL;DR—it's not nearly as bad as it could have been, at least where the UN is concerned.
theglobalobservatory.org/2026/01/the-...
TL;DR—it's not nearly as bad as it could have been, at least where the UN is concerned.
theglobalobservatory.org/2026/01/the-...
Following approval of major budget cuts proposed by the Secretary-General, the #UN enters 2026 with a dramatically worsened financial position. Unless something major changes, U.S. non-payment means the organization is slipping into a budgetary death spiral.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/fifth-comm...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/fifth-comm...
Fifth Committee post-mortem
The death spiral begins
casquebleu.substack.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:58 PM
Following approval of major budget cuts proposed by the Secretary-General, the #UN enters 2026 with a dramatically worsened financial position. Unless something major changes, U.S. non-payment means the organization is slipping into a budgetary death spiral.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/fifth-comm...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/fifth-comm...
We finally have the long-awaited outcome of the Trump administration review of U.S. participation in international organizations.
TL;DR—it's not nearly as bad as it could have been, at least where the UN is concerned.
theglobalobservatory.org/2026/01/the-...
TL;DR—it's not nearly as bad as it could have been, at least where the UN is concerned.
theglobalobservatory.org/2026/01/the-...
The US Memo on Withdrawing from UN Organizations Is More Bark Than Bite - IPI Global Observatory
Last night, the Trump administration finally announced the long-awaited results of its 180-day review of US membership in international organizations, conventions, and treaties. It announced that it w...
theglobalobservatory.org
January 8, 2026 at 9:16 PM
We finally have the long-awaited outcome of the Trump administration review of U.S. participation in international organizations.
TL;DR—it's not nearly as bad as it could have been, at least where the UN is concerned.
theglobalobservatory.org/2026/01/the-...
TL;DR—it's not nearly as bad as it could have been, at least where the UN is concerned.
theglobalobservatory.org/2026/01/the-...
Back in July, I wrote this piece on how the Trump administration treats international law and norms opportunistically, using them as justification when useful and ignoring them when not convenient.
Although the piece was about the #UN, it applies to U.S. foreign policy more broadly. #Venezuela.
Although the piece was about the #UN, it applies to U.S. foreign policy more broadly. #Venezuela.
In the most recent edition of my weekly musings, I explore what the recent USUN confirmation hearings and the withdrawal from UNESCO tell us about the emerging contours of U.S. policy towards the UN.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/the-emergi...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/the-emergi...
The emerging contours of UN policy under Trump 2.0
Reading the tea leaves
casquebleu.substack.com
January 3, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Back in July, I wrote this piece on how the Trump administration treats international law and norms opportunistically, using them as justification when useful and ignoring them when not convenient.
Although the piece was about the #UN, it applies to U.S. foreign policy more broadly. #Venezuela.
Although the piece was about the #UN, it applies to U.S. foreign policy more broadly. #Venezuela.
The race for the next #UN Secretary-General has begun. This week, I make five predictions based on the process agreed and the interests of key Member States on:
1️⃣ Profile of candidates
2️⃣ Gender
3️⃣ Regional representation
4️⃣ What the P5 will demand
5️⃣ Timeline
casquebleu.substack.com/p/prediction...
1️⃣ Profile of candidates
2️⃣ Gender
3️⃣ Regional representation
4️⃣ What the P5 will demand
5️⃣ Timeline
casquebleu.substack.com/p/prediction...
Predictions for the Secretary-General selection process
The perils of wishful thinking
casquebleu.substack.com
December 18, 2025 at 4:59 PM
The race for the next #UN Secretary-General has begun. This week, I make five predictions based on the process agreed and the interests of key Member States on:
1️⃣ Profile of candidates
2️⃣ Gender
3️⃣ Regional representation
4️⃣ What the P5 will demand
5️⃣ Timeline
casquebleu.substack.com/p/prediction...
1️⃣ Profile of candidates
2️⃣ Gender
3️⃣ Regional representation
4️⃣ What the P5 will demand
5️⃣ Timeline
casquebleu.substack.com/p/prediction...
Are #UN staff overpaid? Maybe. But short-sighted cuts pushed in the #FifthCommittee are counterproductive. We need a broader rethink of compensation to make the int'l civil service affordable while also being able to effectively respond to today's challenges.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/are-un-sta...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/are-un-sta...
Are UN staff actually overpaid?
Noblemaire is in the eye of the beholder
casquebleu.substack.com
December 11, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Are #UN staff overpaid? Maybe. But short-sighted cuts pushed in the #FifthCommittee are counterproductive. We need a broader rethink of compensation to make the int'l civil service affordable while also being able to effectively respond to today's challenges.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/are-un-sta...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/are-un-sta...
Reimbursement for troops and equipment in #UN #peacekeeping is not just a financial matter. How reimbursement is paid—and for what—helps shape Member State behavior and Secretariat processes, with under-appreciated implications for performance and effectiveness.
open.substack.com/pub/casquebl...
open.substack.com/pub/casquebl...
Reimbursement: A missing piece in discussions on the effectiveness of UN peace operations
Amateurs talk about doctrine; professionals talk about money
open.substack.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Reimbursement for troops and equipment in #UN #peacekeeping is not just a financial matter. How reimbursement is paid—and for what—helps shape Member State behavior and Secretariat processes, with under-appreciated implications for performance and effectiveness.
open.substack.com/pub/casquebl...
open.substack.com/pub/casquebl...
Unfortunately, the #FifthCommittee failed to meet the moment on this. Instead of protecting the budgetary prerogatives of the General Assembly, it rolled over by agreeing on a rubber-stamp draft resolution on the implementation or resolution 2719.
undocs.org/en/A/80/527
undocs.org/en/A/80/527
November 25, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Unfortunately, the #FifthCommittee failed to meet the moment on this. Instead of protecting the budgetary prerogatives of the General Assembly, it rolled over by agreeing on a rubber-stamp draft resolution on the implementation or resolution 2719.
undocs.org/en/A/80/527
undocs.org/en/A/80/527
Member States should use the peace operations review to rethink the scope and working methods of the Special Committee on #Peacekeeping Operations (C-34) to reposition the C-34 as a body that can productively shape #UN peace operations moving forward.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/re-imagini...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/re-imagini...
Re-imagining the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations
Making the C-34 relevant again
casquebleu.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Member States should use the peace operations review to rethink the scope and working methods of the Special Committee on #Peacekeeping Operations (C-34) to reposition the C-34 as a body that can productively shape #UN peace operations moving forward.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/re-imagini...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/re-imagini...
Reducing the U.S. share of the #UN budget would help mitigate the cash shortfall, but it is unlikely to happen due to the zero-sum nature of negotiations over the scales of assessments and the consensus-based decision making process in the #FifthCommittee.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/can-changi...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/can-changi...
Can changing the scales of assessments help mitigate the liquidity crisis?
More wishful thinking
casquebleu.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Reducing the U.S. share of the #UN budget would help mitigate the cash shortfall, but it is unlikely to happen due to the zero-sum nature of negotiations over the scales of assessments and the consensus-based decision making process in the #FifthCommittee.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/can-changi...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/can-changi...
It's been over 10 years since the last large-scale UN mission start-up. This week, I provide a refresher on start-up funding arrangements, explain the Secretary-General's request for the UN Support Office in #Haiti, and point out some issues with the request.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/getting-th...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/getting-th...
Getting the UN Support Office in Haiti off the ground
A refresher on mission start-up financing
casquebleu.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:10 PM
It's been over 10 years since the last large-scale UN mission start-up. This week, I provide a refresher on start-up funding arrangements, explain the Secretary-General's request for the UN Support Office in #Haiti, and point out some issues with the request.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/getting-th...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/getting-th...
The #UN80 mandate review highlights the use of the phrase "within existing resources" by delegates wishing to handwave away pesky budgetary issues. But the way it's currently being used goes against the Charter and decisions of the General Assembly.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/how-do-you...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/how-do-you...
How do you solve a problem like "within existing resources"?
You're doing it wrong
casquebleu.substack.com
October 30, 2025 at 2:41 PM
The #UN80 mandate review highlights the use of the phrase "within existing resources" by delegates wishing to handwave away pesky budgetary issues. But the way it's currently being used goes against the Charter and decisions of the General Assembly.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/how-do-you...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/how-do-you...
The UN has been forced to repatriate 25% of troops and police in #peacekeeping missions to deal with cash shortages stemming primarily from U.S. non-payment. I explain why existing liquidity mechanisms were insufficient and what this means going forward.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/the-contin...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/the-contin...
The contingency plan for peacekeeping financing, explained
Not a budget cut
casquebleu.substack.com
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
The UN has been forced to repatriate 25% of troops and police in #peacekeeping missions to deal with cash shortages stemming primarily from U.S. non-payment. I explain why existing liquidity mechanisms were insufficient and what this means going forward.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/the-contin...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/the-contin...
U.S. arrears at the #UN are mounting, and it is at risk of losing its vote in the General Assembly. This week, I dive into when this might happen and what the consequences might be.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/is-the-us-...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/is-the-us-...
Is the U.S. at risk of losing its vote at the UN?
Skirting the edge of Article 19
casquebleu.substack.com
October 17, 2025 at 3:54 PM
U.S. arrears at the #UN are mounting, and it is at risk of losing its vote in the General Assembly. This week, I dive into when this might happen and what the consequences might be.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/is-the-us-...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/is-the-us-...
Talk of modular approaches in peace operations is in the air, but there are many different interpretations and uses of the concept. What are the different schools of thought and which should be the focus of #UN80 and the peace operations review?
casquebleu.substack.com/p/what-do-we...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/what-do-we...
What do we mean by modular approaches to UN peace operations?
Building blocks versus networked operations
casquebleu.substack.com
October 9, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Talk of modular approaches in peace operations is in the air, but there are many different interpretations and uses of the concept. What are the different schools of thought and which should be the focus of #UN80 and the peace operations review?
casquebleu.substack.com/p/what-do-we...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/what-do-we...
The Security Council never needed resolution 2719 to be able to provide assessed contributions to non-UN forces, and the likelihood of 2719 application seems more remote than ever. It's time to look beyond 2719 in designing effective partnership arrangements.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/what-now-f...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/what-now-f...
What now for Security Council resolution 2719?
Full of sound and fury
casquebleu.substack.com
October 2, 2025 at 1:56 PM
The Security Council never needed resolution 2719 to be able to provide assessed contributions to non-UN forces, and the likelihood of 2719 application seems more remote than ever. It's time to look beyond 2719 in designing effective partnership arrangements.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/what-now-f...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/what-now-f...
In my latest piece, I examine the #UN80 revised estimates and explain how the initiative risks exacerbating the liquidity crisis, precipitating a loss of talent, and undermining the ability of the next Secretary-General to define a path forward for the #UN.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/nobody-wan...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/nobody-wan...
UN80: Nobody wants this
Reflections on the 2026 revised estimates, part 2 of 2
casquebleu.substack.com
September 25, 2025 at 2:25 PM
In my latest piece, I examine the #UN80 revised estimates and explain how the initiative risks exacerbating the liquidity crisis, precipitating a loss of talent, and undermining the ability of the next Secretary-General to define a path forward for the #UN.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/nobody-wan...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/nobody-wan...
This is the one week of the year where I can say things like: Sorry I’m late to this meeting; I was stuck behind the Spanish and Swedish kings while waiting for the elevator.
September 23, 2025 at 4:23 PM
This is the one week of the year where I can say things like: Sorry I’m late to this meeting; I was stuck behind the Spanish and Swedish kings while waiting for the elevator.
Do we actually know if Waltz is a member of the Cabinet? The U.S. Representative to the UN is not automatically a Cabinet-rank position, and although Stefanik was nominated as a Cabinet-level official, I haven't yet seen anything to that effect for Waltz.
The Senate on Friday confirmed Mike Waltz to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, filling the last vacancy in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet after eight months of delays and the withdrawal of a previous nominee. https://to.pbs.org/3KwJMOE
Senate confirms former national security adviser Mike Waltz as Trump's UN ambassador
Waltz served for mere weeks as Trump’s national security adviser before he was ousted in May after mistakenly adding a journalist to a private Signal chat used to discuss sensitive military plans.
to.pbs.org
September 22, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Do we actually know if Waltz is a member of the Cabinet? The U.S. Representative to the UN is not automatically a Cabinet-rank position, and although Stefanik was nominated as a Cabinet-level official, I haven't yet seen anything to that effect for Waltz.
Reposted by Eugene Chen
On UNGA's one-year deadline for Israel to comply with its legal obligations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Erica Gaston writes that Member States have ample options for responding to the situation in Gaza, drawing from 80 years of practice:
www.justsecurity.org/120901/from-...
www.justsecurity.org/120901/from-...
Weighing the Options on UNGA Action on Gaza
With no end in sight for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, could the General Assembly support humanitarian or peacekeeping intervention?
www.justsecurity.org
September 18, 2025 at 12:58 PM
On UNGA's one-year deadline for Israel to comply with its legal obligations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Erica Gaston writes that Member States have ample options for responding to the situation in Gaza, drawing from 80 years of practice:
www.justsecurity.org/120901/from-...
www.justsecurity.org/120901/from-...
The #UN80 revised estimates were released this week. In this week's post, I look at the cuts and changes proposed for the peace and security pillar (DPPA and DPO), assessing the likely motivations behind the changes proposed and why these fall short.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/restructur...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/restructur...
Restructuring the UN peace and security pillar redux
Too little, too late
casquebleu.substack.com
September 18, 2025 at 1:44 PM
The #UN80 revised estimates were released this week. In this week's post, I look at the cuts and changes proposed for the peace and security pillar (DPPA and DPO), assessing the likely motivations behind the changes proposed and why these fall short.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/restructur...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/restructur...
The U.S. wants a Gang Suppression Force in #Haiti with a UN support office. In this piece, I examine how the support office model went from being the option of last resort to the default option for UN peace and security engagement in complex settings.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/un-support...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/un-support...
UN support offices and the primacy of the military
How the option of last resort became the preferred model
casquebleu.substack.com
September 4, 2025 at 2:04 PM
The U.S. wants a Gang Suppression Force in #Haiti with a UN support office. In this piece, I examine how the support office model went from being the option of last resort to the default option for UN peace and security engagement in complex settings.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/un-support...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/un-support...
The simplistic narratives underpinning the #UN80 mandate review do not help us understand and address the problems underpinning ineffective and inefficient delivery.
open.substack.com/pub/casquebl...
open.substack.com/pub/casquebl...
In defense of unread UN reports
Beware of simple narratives
open.substack.com
August 28, 2025 at 2:07 PM
The simplistic narratives underpinning the #UN80 mandate review do not help us understand and address the problems underpinning ineffective and inefficient delivery.
open.substack.com/pub/casquebl...
open.substack.com/pub/casquebl...
For an organization with so many plans and planners, the UN is surprisingly bad at planning. In my latest commentary, I argue that this is driven by several factors and has pernicious effects for relevance, effectiveness and adaptability of UN peace ops.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/dont-feed-...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/dont-feed-...
Closing the planning gap in the Secretariat
Stop feeding the beast
casquebleu.substack.com
August 21, 2025 at 1:30 PM
For an organization with so many plans and planners, the UN is surprisingly bad at planning. In my latest commentary, I argue that this is driven by several factors and has pernicious effects for relevance, effectiveness and adaptability of UN peace ops.
casquebleu.substack.com/p/dont-feed-...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/dont-feed-...
What are the prospects and potential for various day-after options for #Gaza, including #UN #peacekeeping? I gave ABC Radio National some of my thoughts earlier this week.
www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
Could the UN actually send forces into Gaza? - ABC listen
With Israel’s plan to go deeper into Gaza, the scenario looks intractable. Israel itself is increasingly isolated on the world stage. So what tools might be available to the United Nations to “force” ...
www.abc.net.au
August 13, 2025 at 4:09 PM
What are the prospects and potential for various day-after options for #Gaza, including #UN #peacekeeping? I gave ABC Radio National some of my thoughts earlier this week.
www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
Ten years ago, the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations argued for using the full spectrum of peace operations, but today the divisions between #peacekeeping and political missions are further entrenched. Why does this matter and what can be done?
casquebleu.substack.com/p/towards-a-...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/towards-a-...
Towards a full spectrum of UN peace operations
Getting back on track
casquebleu.substack.com
August 7, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Ten years ago, the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations argued for using the full spectrum of peace operations, but today the divisions between #peacekeeping and political missions are further entrenched. Why does this matter and what can be done?
casquebleu.substack.com/p/towards-a-...
casquebleu.substack.com/p/towards-a-...