Will the United Nations reach its centenary?
By: Beatrice E. Rangel - 23/09/2026
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The 81st session of the United Nations has just begun under the theme "Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All." The temple of multilateralism seems to acknowledge that its glory days are behind it. Its future, however, is not yet written: it will depend on its ability to respond to the crises that are currently challenging its effectiveness.
The inaugural speeches offered little cause for optimism. The Secretary-General recounted the ills plaguing the world. US President Donald Trump resorted to threatening language when referring to Iran. The President of Brazil enumerated the organization's shortcomings but offered few solutions. Rather than a debate on how to reform the United Nations, the speeches resembled a dialogue of the deaf. It is worth examining the factors that have led the organization to this state of decline.
The first is the growth of its membership. The UN was founded with 51 member states; today it has 193. The decolonization of Africa and, later, the dissolution of the Soviet Union considerably expanded its reach. However, its structure has not always adapted to this expansion. Coordinating so many countries, interests, and agencies makes decision-making and the execution of its mandates difficult.
Some specialized agencies have achieved remarkable results precisely because they have well-defined functions. The International Telecommunication Union has helped harmonize essential standards for communications. The World Intellectual Property Organization has promoted the international protection of innovation, and the International Atomic Energy Agency plays a crucial role in nuclear oversight. Their achievements show that multilateral cooperation can still bear fruit when the objectives are concrete and the working mechanisms are effective.
A second factor is the difficulty of enforcing the organization's decisions. The UN depends on the will of its members to act. The Russian invasion of Ukraine illustrates the limitations of this system: Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council, can veto substantive resolutions it deems contrary to its interests. Thus, the body charged with preserving peace is paralyzed in the face of a war that directly affects the international order.
When serious violations go unanswered, other actors may interpret inaction as a sign of permissiveness. Piracy in the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Guinea has also highlighted the difficulties of coordinating sustained international responses to threats that transcend national borders and affect maritime trade.
Added to this is the crisis of the nation-state as the primary regulator of political and economic activity. Globalization has allowed companies to distribute production, profits, and tax obligations across different countries. Innovation and telecommunications have accelerated this dispersion. As a result, national regulations and traditional mechanisms for international cooperation often keep pace with the activities they seek to regulate.
These problems do not necessarily spell the end for the United Nations, but they do demand profound reform. The organization meeting today in New York must find ways to make decisions, coordinate its agencies, and respond to crises more effectively. Whether it reaches its centenary with more than just a long history to tell depends on this.
«The opinions published herein are the sole responsibility of its author».