The United Nations’ long road to restoring trust.
Why trust in the UN is declining
- Surveys cited in the editorial indicate declining trust and favourability towards the UN.
- The problem is not only external conflicts; questions also arise over the UN’s own institutional transparency, accountability and representativeness.
- The editorial identifies four major structural concerns.
- Security Council deadlock
- Frequent divisions in the UN Security Council (UNSC) have weakened confidence in its ability to respond effectively to conflicts.
- The veto power of the five permanent members (P5) remains a major issue in debates over UNSC reform.
- Resolution A/RES/76/262 (2022) created a standing mechanism for the General Assembly to debate situations whenever a P5 member uses its veto.
- This increases political accountability of veto use, but does not remove the veto itself.
- Transparency and institutional accountability
- Questions have emerged over the transparency of recruitment, procurement and resource allocation.
- Past controversies involving procurement and allegations of misconduct have raised concerns about whether individual wrongdoing is being adequately matched by systemic accountability.
- Greater transparency is therefore essential for rebuilding institutional legitimacy.
- Financial influence
- A small number of major contributors can exercise considerable influence through financial contributions, extra-budgetary funding and earmarked programmes.
- This creates concerns about the perceived neutrality and independence of UN programmes.
- Greater transparency in funding and stronger safeguards against donor-driven priorities can strengthen institutional credibility.
- Global South representation
- The editorial highlights a mismatch between the demographic weight of the Global South and its representation in parts of the UN system.
- Developing countries constitute the overwhelming majority of the world’s population, yet representation in senior positions and decision-making structures remains uneven.
- This reinforces demands for greater geographical representation and inclusivity.
Reverse the shrinking space
- The UN remains central to humanitarian assistance, peacebuilding and international cooperation, particularly in crises.
- However, humanitarian effectiveness also depends on how effectively resources reach local actors and communities.
- In conflicts such as Ukraine, Gaza and Iran-related crises, the UN can contribute through technical and humanitarian mechanisms, but durable peace requires political dialogue among the parties.
- The UN should strengthen its role as a facilitator of dialogue, rather than relying predominantly on bureaucratic or technical interventions.
UN reform: the larger agenda
The restoration of trust requires reforms at three levels:
- Representation: Greater voice for developing countries in global decision-making.
- Accountability: Transparent recruitment, procurement, financing and programme evaluation.
- Effectiveness: Faster humanitarian response and stronger implementation of decisions.
The 81st General Assembly itself has placed UN80 reform and inclusive global governance among its priorities, alongside peace and security, development, human rights and technological transformation. (United Nations)
India and the Global South
- India has consistently supported reformed multilateralism and greater representation of developing countries in global institutions.
- For India, UN reform is linked to:
- UNSC reform
- Greater representation of developing countries
- Reform of international financial institutions
- Stronger voice for the Global South
- More effective multilateral responses to emerging challenges such as climate change, AI and pandemics.
Way forward
- Make UN decision-making more representative and inclusive.
- Improve transparency of funding and procurement.
- Strengthen accountability mechanisms for institutional misconduct.
- Increase participation of Global South countries in senior positions and decision-making.
- Improve humanitarian coordination and transfer greater responsibility to local actors where appropriate.
- Reform the UNSC to reflect 21st-century geopolitical and demographic realities.
- Use multilateral institutions to facilitate dialogue and negotiated solutions.
- Bring civil society, academia, technology communities and other stakeholders into appropriate UN processes; this is also part of the current UNGA President’s stated approach.
Conclusion
The UN’s credibility ultimately depends not merely on the number of resolutions it adopts, but on whether multilateral action produces tangible outcomes. Restoring trust therefore requires a combination of representation, transparency, accountability and effectiveness. The challenge is to make the UN more responsive to contemporary global realities while preserving its central role in multilateral cooperation.