UN at 80: Reform or ritual? : Shared by Fouad Kronfol

 UN at 80: Reform or Ritual?

Daryl Swanepoel – Inclusive Society Institute

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Summary

On its 80th anniversary, the UN faces a crisis of legitimacy, with over $5 billion in arrears, a paralyzed Security Council, and growing reliance on ad hoc coalitions.

The Secretary-General’s “UN80” initiative risks becoming another hollow reform cycle unless member states embrace real change. Genuine reform would require predictable financing with enforcement, rationalization of the UN’s 40,000 mandates, restructuring of the Security Council to reflect current realities, and stronger operational partnerships with regional bodies like the African Union and ASEAN.

Yet these reforms face entrenched political resistance: great powers use arrears, vetoes, and mandates as tools of control; Global South coalitions are divided by regional rivalries; and the UN Secretariat itself is prone to inertia. Past reform attempts, such as the Brahimi Report (2000) and the 2005 World Summit, largely faltered. Still, today’s urgency could be catalytic: insolvency and loss of legitimacy may force governments to act. The test for UN80 is whether member states can move beyond rhetoric and sacrifice control for credibility—or consign the UN to irrelevance.

Quotes
“Reform worth the name would impose strict consequences on non-payers… Without predictable funding, ‘multilateralism’ remains an empty slogan.”

“Models of regional rotation, time-bound seats or limited veto carve-outs tied to humanitarian need would bring flexibility and accountability.”

“The easier path is familiar: statements of principle, incremental adjustments and a slow drift into irrelevance. The harder path requires political courage.”

“The United Nations was founded on a promise of shared responsibility. Eight decades on, it must decide whether that promise can still be made real.”