Interview
How to fix the United Nations
- The UN faces a future characterized by "dark days" driven by nationalist agendas and great power rivalry, with the dysfunctional relationship among the US, China, and Russia predicted to remain "very unpredictable" and "much more difficult" than during the Cold War or the 1990s.
- Due to entrenched superpower competition, the Security Council is expected to continue struggling to take adequate decisions on major crises, with the US, China, and Russia likely to veto resolutions regarding central interests such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ukraine, Syria, and the South China Sea.
- International efforts to promote democracy and human rights are projected to remain ineffective without strong engagement from the United States, while the UN's election efforts are expected to see significantly improved success only if a united Security Council and functional superpower relationships are established.
- The alignment between Russia and China is anticipated to become a "permanent situation," creating an absolute need for these powers to cooperate despite the unpredictable nature of current global dynamics.
- Although internal reform has progressed, the organization is expected to have "a long way to go" to achieve a state that is "more nimble, more effective, and more cost effective," with future reform priorities placing "accountability" and "transparency" at the center based on survey data from 222,000 individuals.
- Climate change and the digital world are identified as the two "absolutely crucial" dimensions for UN intervention over the next 25 years leading up to its 100th anniversary, positioning the organization as the primary platform for developing governance mechanisms regarding cyberspace lawlessness and artificial intelligence.