World leaders gathered last week for the general debate and other high-level events to kick off the substantive work of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. This high-level week comes at a time of unprecedented uncertainty about the future of the UN and the multilateral system. This is in large part because the United […]
Tag: UN reform
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Today’s global challenges—including climate shocks, geopolitical conflicts, mass displacement, and the rapid spread of disruptive technologies—are more interconnected than at any point in the UN’s history. Addressing them demands a United Nations that works as a single, coherent system. The secretary-general’s new report on UN reform, “Shifting Paradigms: United to Deliver,” is the latest, most […]
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The 80th anniversary of the United Nations should have been a celebration. Instead, it has become a reckoning.At the heart of that reckoning is the Mandate Implementation Review (MIR), a quietly released but deeply consequential report that diagnoses a long-festering problem inside the UN system: mandate overload. Since 1946, more than 40,000 resolutions have been […]
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When the United Nations Charter was signed in San Francisco 80 years ago, the United States was not just the host—it was the architect. American leadership helped craft a vision of peace secured not through domination but through cooperation. “We the peoples,” the Charter begins—a declaration that global dignity, development, and security would be shared […]
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At the first informal briefing on UN80 by the UN secretary-general on May 12th, a significant number of member states, predominantly from the Global South, highlighted that this round of UN reform should aim to make the organization more inclusive. At first glance, this desired outcome seems out of sync with the political context. After […]
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This article focuses on what UN80 reform means for the UN’s development pillar, which is expected to be a part of it. Proposals on the table include merging UN entities, relocating staff from headquarters to cheaper cities, and “boosting” the leadership role of resident coordinators and national ownership. Yet based on past reform experiences, caution is advised.
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This article looks at five priorities for UN80 reforms based on the outcomes of the 2021 UN Integration Review. The article suggests that reforms cannot be measured by departments merged or posts abolished, but by whether the UN delivers more coherent, effective, and principled support to those it serves. This will require reform not only of structure, but of behavior, leadership, and the compact with member states.
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While there has been talk of UN reform for years, structural changes to the organization are now firmly on the agenda. Once a taboo subject, even the potential merger of UN entities is now openly being discussed. This article discusses ideas for changing the UN structure in light of UN80.
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The upcoming UN Peacebuilding Architecture Review provides a unique opportunity for the UN to shape the future of peacebuilding at a moment when sentiment toward multilateral institutions and the liberal framework guiding peacebuilding as a whole is changing. The way in which the review is developed and implemented, as well as the outcomes, offers a platform to tackle these contemporary challenges and guide the field of peacebuilding into the future. Central to this is the meaningful inclusion of diverse voices through innovative processes. Toward this end, the UN can work in partnership with intermediaries with a track record of organizing such inclusive and participatory processes.
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Whether through its investigative capabilities, its special rapporteur system, or the forum itself, the Human Rights Council could evolve to become a more central and effective actor in addressing peace and security risks.
