Uncetainty and hostility abound as UN General Assembly opens / Interview with Richard Gowan, UN Director for International Crisis Group : Pamela Falk / US News

‘Today’s global order is not working for everyone, in fact, I would go further and say, it’s not working for anyone,’ U.N. Secretary General l Antonio Guterres said earlier this year, setting the tone for the General Assembly meeting kicking off Tuesday.

The 79th UN General Assembly is taking place in New York City, with 150 heads of state and government attending. The Summit of the Future and the addresses by leaders are the two major events.

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Richard Gowan on the current state of the UN: 

On the UN's current state:

• "Almost everyone is unhappy with the U.N., but for different reasons."
• "Western countries are frustrated that the U.N. cannot constrain Russia and China. Poorer countries complain that richer states are not living up to their U.N. pledges on development aid and climate financing."
• "There is no simple single pathway to restoring the U.N.'s credibility."

On the UN's future:

• "It is hard for either Biden or Harris to make big promises at the U.N. this year because their foreign counterparts know that their pledges will be null and void if Trump wins."
• "Foreign leaders and ministers will simply be trying to get a first impression of where she stands on big foreign policy issues."

On the Security Council:

• "The Security Council's disunity among the five permanent members is a major obstacle to its effectiveness."
• "It is because of disunity among the P5 that it is impossible for the Council to be more forceful."

On the General Assembly:

• "The General Assembly is a debating body more than an enforcement organ."
• "The edicts of the Security Council are obligatory for all member states of the U.N., while resolutions passed by the Assembly have no sway over the members – they are merely voluntary."