Three Ways to Revive the UN Using Its Own Charter

The United Nations is often criticized as a bureaucratic organization overly focused on process rather than on making substantive decisions and ensuring that member states follow through on them. As former UN system staff members, we acknowledge that this dynamic …

Opinion by Paola Bettelli and Georgios Kostakos
• August 12, 2024

Summit of the Future: A Historical Pivot or Mere Footnote?

The United Nations’ Summit of the Future in September offers a historic opportunity to adopt several far-reaching, high-impact global governance innovations. The summit’s success also hinges on a robust, closely monitored follow-up effort, championed by developing and developed countries alike, …

Opinion by Richard Ponzio
• May 7, 2024

Small Countries Are Crucial for the UN’s Long-Term Survival, and Singapore Leads the Way

As intense negotiations begin on the Pact for the Future — the highly anticipated outcome document to crown the Summit of the Future at the United Nations in September — long-term restructuring plans are playing out in constant tension with …

Maria Luisa Gambale
• February 27, 2024

Liechtenstein’s ‘Veto Initiative’ Wins Wide Approval at the UN. Will It Deter the Big Powers?

A major effort to reform the use of the veto in the United Nations Security Council came to fruition in a rare move on April 26, when the General Assembly adopted a resolution by consensus to raise the political cost …