"But definitely, when a decision is taken, or when you are trying to oppose a decision, you are in a weaker position than the member states, because they know more about the situation than you. We gave information, but they never gave us any information"
About this Quote
Power at the UN often looks like moral authority, then sounds like frustration in a cramped committee room. Boutros Boutros-Ghali is naming the structural asymmetry baked into multilateral diplomacy: the Secretariat is meant to be the system’s nervous system, but it’s forced to operate with dulled senses. Member states hold the intelligence, the on-the-ground details, the private assurances and threats. When the UN takes a decision, or tries to resist one, it’s doing so with partial vision, while governments play poker with marked cards.
The intent here is less complaint than diagnosis. He’s explaining why UN action so often feels late, cautious, or compromised: not simply because of bureaucracy, but because states hoard information as a form of power. “We gave information” is a quiet assertion of institutional good faith - the Secretariat shares what it can to coordinate collective action. “They never gave us any information” is the sting: reciprocity is absent, because transparency would reduce a state’s leverage, expose domestic politics, or invite accountability.
The subtext is also personal. Boutros-Ghali’s tenure was defined by post-Cold War optimism colliding with brutal realities - Somalia, Bosnia, Rwanda - crises where mandates depended on member-state candor and commitment. His phrasing (“definitely,” “never”) carries the weariness of someone who has watched governments demand results from an organization they keep strategically underinformed.
Contextually, it’s a reminder that “international community” is not a single actor; it’s a stage where sovereigns delegate responsibility without surrendering control. The UN is asked to be both referee and scapegoat, and this quote is the procedural anatomy of that trap.
The intent here is less complaint than diagnosis. He’s explaining why UN action so often feels late, cautious, or compromised: not simply because of bureaucracy, but because states hoard information as a form of power. “We gave information” is a quiet assertion of institutional good faith - the Secretariat shares what it can to coordinate collective action. “They never gave us any information” is the sting: reciprocity is absent, because transparency would reduce a state’s leverage, expose domestic politics, or invite accountability.
The subtext is also personal. Boutros-Ghali’s tenure was defined by post-Cold War optimism colliding with brutal realities - Somalia, Bosnia, Rwanda - crises where mandates depended on member-state candor and commitment. His phrasing (“definitely,” “never”) carries the weariness of someone who has watched governments demand results from an organization they keep strategically underinformed.
Contextually, it’s a reminder that “international community” is not a single actor; it’s a stage where sovereigns delegate responsibility without surrendering control. The UN is asked to be both referee and scapegoat, and this quote is the procedural anatomy of that trap.
Quote Details
| Topic | Decision-Making |
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