UN Vows To Rebuild Global Trust Amid Wars, Climate Crisis

• Incoming United Nations General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh has pledged to rebuild public confidence in the global body and make it more responsive to the realities of a rapidly changing world.

• Rahman assumed office as the 81st General Assembly session opened amid wars, humanitarian crises, geopolitical divisions, nuclear escalation risks, worsening poverty and inequality, and intensifying climate change.

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres said institutions responsible for global problem-solving are struggling to meet current challenges, while violations of international law and human rights continue to undermine public confidence.

• Outgoing Assembly President Annalena Baerbock acknowledged the organisation’s shortcomings but insisted that the world would not be better without the UN, pointing to its peacekeeping, humanitarian and development work.

September 09, () — The United Nations has renewed its push to rebuild public confidence in the multilateral system, with the incoming President of the General Assembly, Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh, pledging to reform the organisation and make it more capable of responding to the world’s mounting crises.

Rahman made the commitment on Tuesday at the opening of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in New York, shortly after formally receiving the iconic Icelandic wooden gavel from outgoing Assembly President Annalena Baerbock.

In setting out his priorities for the year ahead, Rahman adopted the theme: “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.”

He said the UN must adapt to profound changes in the international system and reconnect more effectively with the people it was established to serve.

“We must make the United Nations fit for the future,” Rahman said, stressing the need for greater engagement with civil society and other voices beyond governments. We have a situation where trust is in deficit. This is not 1945. This is the 81st session. The world has moved on. The Organisation must move on, and I’ll help that process”, he added.

Rahman’s assumption of office comes at a difficult moment for the international community, with conflicts and humanitarian emergencies continuing in several parts of the world, while geopolitical rivalries have made collective action increasingly difficult.

The international system is also confronting the threats posed by climate change, persistent poverty, widening inequality and concerns over nuclear escalation.

Guterres: Multilateral System Under Strain

UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, who welcomed Rahman to the presidency, paid tribute to Baerbock’s stewardship of the 80th session while warning about the difficult circumstances confronting the new Assembly.

He said the world was experiencing a period marked by armed conflicts, geopolitical divisions, the risk of nuclear escalation, persistent poverty, inequality and worsening climate chaos.

“Rebuilding trust in the multilateral system is the defining challenge of our time”, Guterres said.

He argued that the need for international cooperation had never been greater, even as the institutions created to facilitate such cooperation were increasingly struggling to meet the demands placed upon them.

“In these tumultuous times, the global problem-solving system is more crucial than ever. However, from the UN Security Council to world finance, the institutions of the multilateral system are straining to meet the moment”, he said.

Guterres also expressed concern over the continued disregard for international law and human rights, which he described as core principles of the UN. He said such violations, coupled with geopolitical mistrust and suspicion, were obstructing efforts to find solutions to global challenges and eroding people’s faith in international cooperation.

According to him, restoring confidence in multilateralism will require member states to use diplomacy, dialogue and cooperation to confront challenges that no country can adequately address alone.

2027 UN Chief Selection

One of the immediate priorities before the new Assembly will be the process of selecting the next UN Secretary-General, who is expected to begin a new term in January 2027.

Guterres, who is serving his final period as Secretary-General, said the Assembly had an important role to play in strengthening international cooperation before handing over to the next UN chief.

Despite the difficulties confronting the organisation, he said he remained hopeful about the capacity of the UN to deliver solutions.

As he joined the opening of a General Assembly session for the last time as Secretary-General, Guterres recalled the role the UN has played since its creation in providing a forum for addressing some of the world’s most difficult problems.

“But, as I join you in this opening of a General Assembly session for the last time as Secretary-General, I have enormous hope thanks to the work that happens here. From the start, the UN has been the place where the world’s toughest and most consequential problems are confronted head-on”, he said.

Guterres urged member states to seize the opportunity offered by the new Assembly session to rebuild the trust and goodwill needed to address global crises.

“Through diplomacy, dialogue and collaboration, this Assembly can rebuild the trust and good faith that is missing from our geopolitics today and ensure the people of the world inherit a better, healthier and more peaceful future”, Guterres said.

Baerbock Defends UN Legacy

Meanwhile, Baerbock used her final address to the Assembly to make a strong case for the continued relevance of the United Nations despite criticism of its performance.

At the final meeting of the 80th session, she told ambassadors that her experience had left her “convinced more than ever of the importance and necessity of our United Nations.”

She acknowledged the shortcomings of the organisation but challenged member states to consider what the world would look like without it.

“In spite of its shortcomings, not a single day, not a single country, would be better off without the UN”, Baerbock said.

Responding to those who argue that the organisation has become irrelevant or ineffective in the face of new geopolitical realities, she asked member states to consider the alternative — a world without the United Nations.

Baerbock pointed to the practical impact of UN agencies and operations around the world, including the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, which supports millions of children, as well as UN peacekeeping operations deployed in conflict-affected areas.

She said women in some areas were able to move outside their homes with greater confidence because UN peacekeepers were present to help provide security.

Baerbock, however, acknowledged that the UN’s positive contributions often receive less attention than its failures and controversies.

“Our challenge though is that in a world where hate gets six times more clicks, these positive examples can easily go unnoticed”, she said.