As the world grapples with conflicts, crises, and an increasingly fractured geopolitical landscape, leaders attending this week's U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) face a daunting challenge: to not only address immediate crises but to modernize the institutions created after World War II, equipping them to confront future threats.
The General Assembly approved a key document on Sunday--the 42-page "Pact of the Future"--with overwhelming support, despite attempts by Russia to weaken it. The pact, which serves as a blueprint for addressing global challenges, focuses on issues ranging from conflicts and climate change to artificial intelligence and the reform of international institutions. "We are here to bring multilateralism back from the brink," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, celebrating the pact's approval. He called it a step toward securing a better future, but warned that it must be followed by decisive action.
Kenyan President William Ruto, in his address at the U.N.'s Summit of the Future, called for urgent reforms in global governance and financial systems, emphasizing the need for change to avert a looming sustainable development crisis. Ruto warned that shocks to the global economy threaten to undo progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He cited a 2024 report from the Inter-Agency Task Force on Financing for Development, which highlighted growing challenges in achieving sustainable development. Ruto pointed out that the upcoming 4th International Conference on Financing for Development may be the last chance for the world to realign development strategies and meet the SDGs by 2030.
Amid rising global tensions, the summit is taking place against the backdrop of several ongoing conflicts. The war in Ukraine, which dominated last year's assembly, continues to be a focus, while escalating violence in the Middle East, including the war in Gaza and mounting tensions along the Israeli-Lebanon border, is also taking center stage. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to address world leaders, alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield stressed that the focus of U.S. efforts at the U.N. would be on ending "the scourge of war," noting that over 2 billion people live in conflict-affected regions worldwide. "The most vulnerable around the world are counting on us to make progress," she said. As tensions in Ukraine, the Middle East, and other global hotspots escalate, the need for meaningful action has never been more pressing.
The need to reform the U.N. Security Council is also a prominent issue, with Slovenian U.N. Ambassador Samuel Zbogar warning that global instability is rising, fueled by conflicts and the erosion of international norms. "We live in a world of grim statistics, with a record-high number of conflicts and civilians suffering as a result," Zbogar noted. He challenged the Security Council to address its own failures in maintaining international peace and security.
Last week, U.N. Secretary-General Guterres reiterated the need for the Summit of the Future, a platform designed to realign multilateralism to meet modern challenges. He pointed to deep geopolitical divisions and runaway threats--such as climate change and the unchecked development of artificial intelligence--as issues that are outpacing the international community's ability to address them. He warned that the world was facing an "enormous level" of impunity, with conflicts and crises escalating unchecked.
However, the road to consensus has not been smooth. Russia, supported by a handful of nations including Belarus and Syria, attempted to push amendments that would have watered down the Pact of the Future. These efforts were met with resistance from a majority of U.N. members, including African nations led by the Republic of Congo. A motion to block Russia's amendments was passed with applause, leaving Russia diplomatically isolated. Assembly President Philémon Yang declared the pact approved after the overwhelming consensus vote, despite dissent from Russia and its few allies.
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are among the Western leaders who have joined calls for reforming the U.N. Security Council, particularly in light of its inability to address key issues like the Ukraine conflict. However, neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor China's Xi Jinping attended the summit, opting instead to send their foreign ministers, a move interpreted as a sign of reluctance to engage in talks about reform.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The stakes at this year's U.N. gathering could not be higher, with Secretary-General Guterres stressing that the fate of multilateralism and global cooperation hangs in the balance. "The world is becoming less stable, less peaceful," Guterres warned. "Now is the time to not just talk but act, to move from agreement to implementation."
As Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnès Callamard bluntly put it, "If leaders fail to seize this opportunity, the consequences for our collective future will be catastrophic." With over 100 million people displaced by conflict and a widening gap between rich and poor nations, the need for a united global effort has never been more critical.
