UN's Critical Week: Can Reform Revive Its Relevance Amidst Global Turmoil?
As nearly 200 diplomats congregate in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, the atmosphere is overshadowed by a significant Israeli bombing campaign in southern Lebanon. This backdrop raises an urgent question: Is the UN too broken to be fixed? UN officials are currently grappling with three intense conflicts spanning the Middle East, Ukraine, and Sudan. Although the UN remains a pivotal humanitarian organization, facilitating essential relief for refugees and victims of natural disasters, its central security body appears largely impotent in the face of some of the world's most protracted conflicts.
Supporters argue that the UN is still a vital forum for conflict resolution, capable of preventing more dire consequences. Its leadership has acknowledged the critical need for reform, emphasizing substantial changes within its Pact of the Future—an initiative led by Secretary-General António Guterres, recently adopted after challenging negotiations. This agreement aims to overhaul the security council, which holds significant authority over matters of peace and security. The stated objective is to enhance the council's effectiveness and inclusivity, particularly focusing on rectifying Africa's historical underrepresentation.
However, Secretary-General Guterres pointed out that the UN cannot mediate in conflicts where the involved parties are unwilling to engage in mediation, such as the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine or Israel and Hamas. He cited the situation with Russia—a permanent member of the security council, actively participating in ongoing conflicts—as emblematic of the dual problems of both effectiveness and legitimacy facing the council.
"We will not solve all the problems of the world," Guterres remarked last week, reflecting on the monumental challenges faced by the organization. He acknowledged the limitations of the UN, stating, "We have no power, we have no money, but we have a voice and we have some convening capacity." He reiterated this sentiment when discussing the UN's recent initiatives concerning artificial intelligence outlined in the Pact of the Future.
In private discussions, diplomats have tempered expectations for significant breakthroughs during the UN assembly, primarily due to deep-seated divisions between the United States and Russia, along with China's growing independent influence. These rifts have left the security council effectively paralyzed on critical matters.
Slovenia's UN ambassador Samuel Žbogar, serving as the council's rotating president, has criticized the toxic atmosphere permeating the security council, attributing blame to both Moscow and Washington for their veto power stances. The council's decline in funding for security initiatives has placed the UN at its most vulnerable juncture in years.
Richard Gowan, the UN director at the International Crisis Group, described the complexities surrounding UN reform as a vicious circle. He noted that the possibility of reform hinges on the member states, whose own authority may be threatened by such changes, as well as the considerable internal obstacles to ratifying any agreements.
"It's increasingly challenging to get capitals to pay attention to what the UN is doing," Gowan observed, sharing insights from various diplomats present at the assembly. This sentiment, echoed across member states, hints at a troubling conclusion: many governments are beginning to perceive the UN as losing relevance. If a sufficient number of states arrive at that conclusion, it risks becoming self-fulfilling.
The UN's current assembly convenes at a pivotal moment, with the urgency for reform more pronounced than ever. This assembly represents a collective opportunity for diplomats to grapple with the complexities of global peace and security while seeking pathways to reinvigorate the UN's role in addressing the pressing challenges of our time.
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