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International cooperation

The United Nations: A Fragile Institution in Need of Reforms

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The United Nations, formed in 1945, is the world's oldest and most widely recognized multilateral organization. Despite its noble intentions, the UN is a fragile institution, often criticized for its limitations and inefficiencies. The UN Charter sets the terms for national behavior, but it depends on individual nations to adhere to its principles. The organization has undergone numerous reform initiatives, but its effectiveness is often hindered by political disputes and the veto power wielded by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC).

Key Takeaways:

  • The UN Charter, written in 1945, sets the terms for national behavior but relies on individual nations to adhere to its principles.
  • The UN has undergone numerous reform initiatives, including An Agenda for Peace (1992), An Agenda for Development (1994), and Our Common Agenda (2021).
  • The UN Security Council (UNSC) is divided into two halves: the five permanent members (P5) and the elected members, with the P5 holding veto power.
  • Since 1972, the United States has vetoed over 45 UNSC resolutions related to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
  • The UN General Assembly (UNGA) passed five key resolutions calling for a ceasefire during the Gaza genocide, but has no real power in the UN system.
  • The UN's myriad agencies, such as UNICEF and UNESCO, are designed to address various crises, but their effectiveness is limited by meager funding and the world's powers' disagreements.
  • The UN system has become the world's humanitarian organization due to neoliberal austerity and war destroying individual countries' capacity for humanitarian work.
  • The UN's agenda is focused on internal organizational weaknesses, rather than addressing the largely political questions that scuttle its work.
  • Recommendations for UN reform include moving the UN Secretariat to the Global South, increasing funding from states in the Global South, and cutting the global arms trade.

Statistics:

  • The UN's total expenditure in 2022 was $67.5 billion, compared to over $2 trillion spent on the arms trade.
  • Annual international arms exports are nearing $150 billion, with the United States and Western European countries accounting for 73% of sales between 2020 and 2024.
  • In 2023 alone, the top 100 arms manufacturers made $632 billion, largely through sales by US companies to the US military.
  • 92% of UN peacekeepers come from the Global South, while the Global North makes money on war.

Sources:

  • Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations.
  • Our Common Agenda (2021), Summit of the Future (2024), and UN80 Task Force (2025).
  • An Agenda for Peace (1992), An Agenda for Development (1994), and Renewing the United Nations (1997).
  • International Labour Organisation (ILO), created in 1919.
  • United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and other UN agencies.
  • World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and other UN agencies.
  • Books, research papers, and online articles cited in the original text.

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