Guterres calls for urgent reform of the Security Council
24/10/2025: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the “fragile” legitimacy of the Security Council could endanger global peace if it remains gridlocked. The body’s structure is viewed by many countries as unrepresentative and its veto system has often stalled action and sparked criticism.
Source: UN News
How much power does the UN secretary-general have to reform the body?
20/10/2025: The UN Charter grants the secretary-general powers to administer the work of the Secretariat but many of the UN's agencies answer to their own executive boards, donors, and beneficiaries. Decisions to merge or close UN agencies ultimately lie with the member states that fund them.
Source: Devex
UN unveils sharply reduced 2026 budget
17/10/2025: High arrears of contributions from UN member countries totalling $760 million have forced the Secretary-General to announce further cuts in the budget for 2026.. Staffing levels may be reduced by almost 20%.
Source: UN News
UN ends high-level week with calls for action on peace, climate and UN reform
29/9/2025: At the close of its 80th session, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock called on nations to convert the week’s momentum into concrete action. She invoked the UN’s founding in the wake of World War Two and its mission “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”
Source: UN News
UN at 80: a mixed legacy of highs and lows
23/9/2025: As the UN commemorates its 80th anniversary, the celebrations are muted. Failure in creating a world of peace and security contrasts with the UN's performance as a massive global relief organization, providing humanitarian aid to millions of people caught in worldwide conflicts.
Source: Inter Press Service
Look to Myanmar for a terrifying vision of authoritarian rule
21/9/2025: The brutality and repression in Myanmar highlight the failings of a dysfunctional world order. Unless we do better, this is the future.
Source: The Guardian
Electing the next UN Secretary-General: a test for multilateralism
21/9/2025: The election of the UN’s 10th secretary-general, in 2026, for the 2027-2031 term, is one of the most consequential in its history. The choice is not only about who leads the UN. It is also about whether multilateralism is reinvented or fades, critical for the rules-based world order.
Source: PassBlue
Public backs global cooperation as trust in institutions falters
19/9/2025: A global survey of over 35,000 people by the Rockefeller Foundation shows overwhelming support for international cooperation on jobs, health, and climate, but declining trust in the institutions tasked with delivering it. Two thirds of respondents feel that international cooperation is in their own interest.
Source: Devex
World leaders should defend UN principles at General Assembly
17/9/2025: Human Rights Watch has called on world leaders gathering for the UN General Assembly to commit to protecting the UN from powerful governments seeking to defund and undermine the organization’s capacity to promote human rights and international justice.
Source: Human Rights Watch
China unveils vision for equitable global governance
2/9/2025: At the conclusion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, President Xi Jinping called for “an equal and orderly multipolar world." His proposed Global Governance Initiative would include full and comprehensive adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
Source: Third World Network