What direction for the UN?

As the United Nations approaches its 80th anniversary, it stands at a critical juncture. Founded in the aftermath of the second world war to prevent future conflicts and promote international cooperation, the UN now faces a dramatically changed world. Complex challenges – from the COVID-19 pandemic to the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza – have exposed the organization’s limitations and raised urgent questions about its future. The upcoming Summit of the Future will underline the obvious need for change. The question is how the “three UNs” – Member States, Secretariat, and non-state actors – can prepare for the 80th anniversary to ensure the global organization evolves to remain relevant.

A complex landscape

Today’s world bears little resemblance to the one in which the UN was conceived. The challenges of this era – including climate change, artificial intelligence, pandemics, and economic inequality – transcend national borders, requiring a collective global response. However, the international community of states often finds itself paralyzed by divergent interests and eroded trust. The rise of new powers and shifting geopolitical dynamics have exposed the limitations of the current multilateral system. UN institutions that were once the pillar of global order now appear outdated and unrepresentative. The UN Security Council still reflects the power distribution of 1945, rather than today’s multipolar realities, often hindering the organization’s ability to act decisively and effectively.

Beyond the wrenching transition to multipolarity, the UN also faces internal challenges. Bureaucratic inertia and complex consensus-building processes have further hampered its ability to respond swiftly to global crises, further undermining its credibility. These internal and external pressures have led to calls for reform that cannot be ignored if the UN is to maintain its role in an interconnected and complex world.

Lessons from past reforms

Despite these challenges, the UN has previously demonstrated some ability to adapt and progress in response to crises. The 2005 World Summit, partially a response to the Iraq war and the terrorist attacks of September 2001, offers a blueprint for future reform. The summit led to:

• the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council
• the adoption of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine
• the recognition of the UN’s central role in global counterterrorism efforts
• the Millennium Development Goals

Other international summits, such as the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, have also driven progress, resulting in the creation of the:

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

These substantive changes in global governance highlight the UN’s ability to pivot in response to global events, reinforcing its original purpose.

Some critical factors contributed to the success of these reforms, providing lessons for the future. Integrating knowledge and contributions from different stakeholders can enhance the quality of deliberations and outcomes. For instance, the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges, and Change provided and refined ideas that were ultimately adopted in the World Summit’s outcome document. Entrepreneurial leadership from individuals within the Secretariat and civil society organizations also plays a vital role in advancing timely ideas.

Crafting viable compromise options in summits’ outcome documents is essential for building consensus without diluting the core reforms. Adopting a “whole package” approach allows for trade-offs between areas such as development, peace, and security that might otherwise impede progress. However, without strong leadership from both Member States and UN officials, this approach can also result in stalemate. A strategic, intermediary approach within the Secretariat, particularly among mid-level officers, combining a leader’s discretion with a clerk’s demeanor, is crucial for steering reforms toward consensus and implementation.

The path forward

The question is not whether the UN is needed, but how it can be reformed and strengthened to address the pressing challenges of our time. UN actors have the opportunity to seize the moment at this current critical juncture to initiate comprehensive reforms, building on the Pact for the Future and leveraging the occasion of its 80th anniversary. This requires bold leadership, innovative thinking, and a willingness to confront the structural issues that have hampered the UN’s effectiveness.

First, reform of the UN’s key institutions is imperative. Expanding Security Council membership to reflect the current global landscape is a necessary step to overcome the underrepresentation of regions and developing countries and recover its legitimacy. Revitalizing the General Assembly by fully utilizing its peace and security tools and promoting merit-based elections and selection processes for leadership positions is also essential. Strengthening the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) can help to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, provided that it is able to effectively coordinate across the system and enhance its engagement with international financial institutions. Reforming these institutions is also vital to upscale development and climate finance. The Peacebuilding Commission should be empowered to play a more significant role in conflict prevention and coordination across UN pillars, enhancing its advisory role to the Security Council and ECOSOC.

Second, to succeed the UN must adopt a more inclusive approach to multilateralism. While state sovereignty remains the foundation of the UN, as enshrined in Charter Article 2(7), global power dynamics have shifted. It is essential to engage not only with governments but also with civil society, the private sector, and other stakeholders. The complex challenges we face today cannot be solved by states alone – they require the active participation of all sectors of society. The Black Sea Grain Initiative to resume grain exports via Ukraine demonstrated how this approach could work in practice: 

• the private sector proposed the operational portion
• the UN secretariat led the negotiations
• Member States directly involved implemented it

Third, the UN should focus on areas where it can add the most value, such as being a normative and legal leader, coordinating global action, and providing a platform for solving geopolitical tensions and disputes. Despite the flaws, there is no clear alternative to the UN Security Council role as clearinghouse for peace and security matters, nor to the UN Refugee Agency’s function as the coordinator of international efforts to protect millions of displaced people. By embracing reform and sharpening its focus, the UN can continue to serve as a cornerstone of global governance, fostering a more peaceful, just, and sustainable world.

Conclusion

As we look ahead, it is evident that the UN has to evolve, innovate, and reform to remain relevant in an increasingly multipolar and fragmented world. Critical steps forward include reforming the UN’s main organs, adopting a more inclusive approach, and concentrating on the areas it adds the most value. These reforms should be accelerated in the follow-up to the Summit of the Future and in the lead-up to the UN’s 80th anniversary in 2025. The future of multilateralism depends on it, and the stakes could not be higher.