UN at 80 and multilateralism

COMMENTARY Michaela Friberg-Storey

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A United Nations logo is seen on a glass door in the Assembly Building at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.

(REUTERS)

Eighty years ago, in the ashes of war, the world came together around a bold idea — that peace, dignity, and prosperity are possible only when nations work together.

Those words that open the UN charter, “We the peoples of the United Nations,” still define who we are. The United Nations is more than an institution. It is a living promise, one that spans borders, bridges continents, and inspires generations.

That promise is now again being tested. Conflict, climate change, inequality, and the erosion of trust are shaking the foundations of our societies.

The world faces a fast-changing technological landscape — from artificial intelligence to bioengineering — that offers both hope and risk.

At the same time, the human family is more interconnected than ever. What happens in one part of the world reverberates everywhere.

Yet, in the face of these challenges, the lesson of the past 80 years still holds true: no nation can solve global problems alone. The climate crisis does not stop at borders. Pandemics and disinformation do not carry passports.

The only path forward is through cooperation, dialogue, and shared responsibility — in other words, through multilateralism.

TIME FOR RENEWAL

As we mark the UN's 80th anniversary, we are not just celebrating history; we are looking ahead. Earlier this year, the secretary-general launched the UN80 Initiative, the most ambitious reform effort in a generation. It aims to make the UN better equipped to respond to the complex realities of today's world.