Fries expressed concern that developing countries, though not the root cause of the global financial crisis, are likely to be most affected by the economic downturn. The crisis could jeopardize recent progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, Fries said. In 2000, United Nations member states established eight Millennium Development Goals to achieve by 2015 ranging from gender equality and universal primary education to combating disease and developing a global partnership for development.
"There is concern that we are moving in the wrong direction, that now the prospects are going the wrong way because of the global financial crisis," Fries said.
Although each goal will be met in some capacity, Fries said it is unlikely that all countries will meet all of the goals.
"On the whole, there have been some positive results and some negative results," Fries said. "All of these goals are achievable, still, but there's still a lot of work to do."
The economic crisis will limit richer nations' ability to invest in the economic development of poorer countries, Fries said.
"There is a fear that along with less foreign investment, richer nations will cut down on [official development assistance]," he said.
The United Nations has established a commission to observe the effects of the crisis and has proposed the establishment of an economic cooperation council, he said. Internal conflicts within the United Nations, though, have made cooperation difficult, Fries said, adding that there are "many subgroups with many characters and interests."
Economic disagreements regularly arise between rich and poor states because poor nations often claim that rich nations do not provide enough aid, Fries said.
"The rich countries agree that they should do more, but the governments of the poor countries also need to do more in creating an environment that is conducive to development," Fries said.
The United Nations' inclusivity and universal mandate increase its ability to give aid, but its fragmented structure makes it more difficult, Fries said.
Fries used the United Nations' presence in Tanzania as an example of the organization's "many reform tracks." Tanzania is among eight pilot countries in which the United Nations is trying to "deliver as one," where previously there had been 22 U.N. agencies working inefficiently, often duplicating one another's work, he said. All of the agencies are now working more closely together, operating under one budget, one office and a joint program to address poverty in Tanzania.
"This has great potential for the future," Fries said. "If we can see that this works out well, it can spread to other countries and the [United Nations] can work much more coherently."
Barriers to reform are especially prevalent with security and economic matters because of international power struggles, Fries said.
The election of President Barack Obama has also led to "much more optimism when it comes to U.S. collaboration within the [United Nations]," he said.
"During the Bush administration, it was widely felt that the U.S. was not a constructive partner in U.N. affairs," Fries said.
