United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon sticking to the soft stuff (Picture: EPA)

Diplomats have been warned to stop turning up drunk to budget negotiations at the United Nations.

The United States has called for delegates who arrive at the table after a few too many drinks to be barred from the annual talks.

‘We make the modest proposal that the negotiating rooms should in future be an inebriation-free zone,’ US ambassador Joseph Torsella told the UN General Assembly’s budget committee.

‘There has always been a good and responsible tradition of a bit of alcohol improving a negotiation, but we’re not talking about a delegate having a nip at the bar.’




One delegate claimed some envoys had previously turned up for talks ‘falling down drunk’.

‘On one occasion the note-taker who was meant to be recording the talks was so intoxicated he had to be replaced,’ said another.

US president Barack Obama at the UN, not a drink in sight (Picture: EPA)

However the US is not calling for a ban on alcohol just on drunks, US officials said.

‘While my government is truly grateful for the strategic opportunities presented by some recent past practices, let’s save the champagne for toasting the successful end of the session,’ Mr Torsella added.

Annual talks on how much the global body spends have become increasingly tense as western nations call for spending cuts during negotiations which run long into the night.

The comments have caused some controversy with another unnamed diplomat rejecting the accusations of drunken negotiations.

‘It is absolutely not the case that everyone at the talks is drunk,’ he said. ‘All the people doing the negotiating are sober.’