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At 80, is the UN still relevant? Middle East crisis raises hard questions
America’s Middle East intervention unfolded with the UN reduced to near-invisibility.
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The UN flag fluttering next to a mural depicting a white dove at the IAEA headquarters, in Vienna, Austria.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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- The UN's relevance is questioned as it appears sidelined in major conflicts like the Middle East, with focus shifting to US actions instead of UN Security Council decisions.
- Despite failures in conflict prevention, UN agencies like the IAEA perform vital functions, and Secretary-General Guterres is tackling internal bloat through reforms.
- The Security Council's outdated power structure, dominated by the P5, hinders progress, but smaller coalitions offer potential for UN reforms with Singapore's advocacy.
AI generated
As the United Nations marks the 80th anniversary of its founding charter on June 26, a perennial question becomes ever sharper: Is the UN still relevant? Would anyone notice if it quietly slipped into oblivion?
This past week’s events in the Middle East make the question especially urgent.
