Challenges and Responses for the United Nations in a Period of Turbulence and Transformation

Abstract:‌ Over the past 80 years since its establishment, the United Nations has made indelible contributions to post-war world peace and development. These include spearheading the formulation of international rules, building a multilateral governance system, mediating conflicts to maintain international peace and security, mobilizing resources for coordinated action to promote global sustainable development, and providing humanitarian aid to safeguard human rights. Currently, the UN faces multiple internal and external challenges, with its significance and influence at risk of stagnation or decline. Looking ahead, the UN must accelerate reforms of its core mechanisms, proactively lead multilateral cooperation on emerging issues, and urge major powers to unite in collaboration. This will enable it to continue playing a pivotal role in safeguarding world peace, advancing human development, and defending the international order.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of both the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the founding of the United Nations. As the world's most representative and authoritative international organization, the UN has been indispensable to global peace and development. Amidst a new era of turbulence and transformation, the UN confronts multifaceted challenges, and its future hinges on proactive adaptation. China remains steadfast in its support for the UN, upholding genuine multilateralism, actively participating in global governance reform, and leading the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

I. The Indispensable Contributions of the United Nations to Post-War World Peace and Development

First, Formulating international rules and building a multilateral governance system. Over the past 80 years, the international community has gradually established a UN-centered international system, an international order based on international law, and fundamental norms for international relations rooted in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. The UN's rule system, with the Charter of the United Nations at its core, addresses global governance issues through international conventions, refines them via specialized agencies' legal frameworks, and dynamically adjusts them through resolutions. This system serves as a critical guide for nations to resolve conflicts, pursue shared development, and tackle challenges collectively. Simultaneously, the UN has built a governance architecture encompassing core bodies, subsidiary agencies, specialized institutions, and special mechanisms.

Second, Mediating conflicts and safeguarding international peace and security‌. The UN has leveraged its multilateral dialogue platforms and collective security mechanisms to prevent large-scale wars and mitigate the intensity, frequency, and scope of regional conflicts. Peacekeeping operations—its primary tool for maintaining peace—have deployed over 70 missions across 40+ countries or regions since 1948, involving 2 million personnel from 125 nations to end conflicts, foster reconciliation, and support reconstruction. Additionally, the UN actively promotes nuclear disarmament, controls weapons of mass destruction and conventional arms, and engages in global counter-terrorism efforts.

Third, Mobilizing resources and advancing global sustainable development‌. The UN has driven economic growth and championed education, healthcare, gender equality, and environmental protection through initiatives like the Four Development Decades, Human Development Index, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As climate change emerges as humanity’s gravest challenge, the UN has become a leading force in global climate action.

Four, Upholding human rights and practicing international humanitarianism.‌ The UN Charter underscores fundamental human rights, dignity, and worth, while the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights—a foundational document—inspired over 70 human rights treaties. The UN coordinates humanitarian relief for war zones (shelter, supplies), famine-stricken areas (food aid), and post-disaster recovery. It has also achieved milestones in protecting women, children, and vulnerable groups by establishing international conventions, monitoring clauses, and enforcement bodies.

II. The World Enters a "Challenging Period" - The United Nations Faces Severe Challenges

First, importance and influence are declining if not improving. Currently, the United Nations is increasingly struggling to cope with the ever-increasing traditional and non-traditional security challenges. It has experienced governance failure, operational slowdown, and loss of credibility. Its importance and influence have significantly decreased. Governance failure is manifested by the decline in the effectiveness of the UN's governance mechanism, and the unsatisfactory results of the UN's three "pillars" of peace and security, development, and human rights. Operational slowdown is reflected in the UN's low efficiency and poor operation. Governance failure and operational slowdown have led to a decline in the UN's "reputation", making it more challenging and competitive for its authority as the center of global governance and multilateralism. 

Secondly, the reform and transformation process has been fraught with difficulties. As the United Nations has failed to adapt to the changing times, the call for reform has grown louder. After taking office, Secretary-General Guterres initiated a "bold and sweeping" reform. In September 2021, Guterres submitted the "Our Common Agenda" report to the UN General Assembly, fully elaborating on the reform concept. In September 2024, the United Nations held a future summit and adopted the "Future Compact" and its annexes, marking that the reform plan has officially moved from conception to practice. However, the next round of reform will still be full of hardships and the future is uncertain. On one hand, reform, especially the reform of core institutions such as the Security Council, involves the redistribution of power among countries, which involves too many interests and is too difficult. On the other hand, the intensification of current major power competition has led to a serious lack of mutual trust among major powers, causing difficulties for the United Nations in reaching consensus on reform and promoting reform measures.

Thirdly, it is severely constrained by intense international competition. Currently, international competition among major powers is becoming more intense, and the risk of the international community splitting into opposing camps and engaging in confrontational behavior has increased. The multilateralism foundation on which the United Nations relies has been undermined. The operational mechanism of the United Nations is most significantly constrained by international competition in the traditional security domain. The core mechanism, the Security Council, often remains "stuck" and is unable to promptly address urgent geopolitical hotspots. The intensification of international competition has also led to the increasing politicization of some "low-political" issues, making it more difficult to reach international consensus.

Fourthly, some major countries are acting in an anti-logical manner. After Trump returned to the White House in 2025, he once again held up the banner of "America First", seriously undermining the multilateralism centered around the United Nations and the global governance system. The new unilateralism actions of the United States have posed severe challenges to the United Nations. On one hand, the effectiveness of the UN mechanism has become even more questionable. The United States is an important contributor to multiple organizations and governance mechanisms within the UN system. Its "cutting off supplies" will exacerbate the financial crisis of the United Nations and seriously affect its functional performance. On the other hand, the unilateralism practices of the United States have hindered the UN reform process. Its actions have set a wrong example globally, weakening the authority of the UN system.

III. Keeping Pace with the Times: Comprehensive Measures to Revitalize the United Nations

First, accelerate the reform of the core mechanisms at an appropriate time. To respond to the challenges of the times and rebuild multilateralism, the UN reform needs to be accelerated promptly, including in the core mechanism reform. The convening of the UN Future Summit and the adoption of the "Future Compact" outcome document have provided a political foundation and a forward direction for the UN to accelerate the implementation of a new round of reforms. However, merely having a "roadmap" is not enough; it must also be transformed into a practical "construction plan". Currently, the international community is accelerating its actions, converting political commitments into practical actions to implement the "Future Compact".

Second, lead multilateral cooperation on emerging fields and issues. As the most universal, representative and authoritative global governance institution today, the importance of the United Nations cannot be overstated, and its initiative needs to be strengthened. The United Nations should lead global cooperation on emerging technologies. With artificial intelligence becoming a new focus of international competition and a new engine for economic development, the United Nations needs to leverage its position advantage, establish a global cooperation platform, unite all parties' consensus, and lead the formulation of global artificial intelligence governance norms. The United Nations should strive to expand new governance issues to break through the stalemate in traditional security field cooperation caused by geopolitical conflicts and power competition, and lead the international community to carry out cooperation on new issues.

Third, we urge major powers to unite and cooperate. In the context of intensified competition among major powers, in order to restore international trust and rebuild multilateralism, the United Nations needs to build bridges and create platforms to facilitate cooperation among major powers. We should actively leverage its core role in international peace and security, promote governance cooperation among major powers in emerging fields and emerging issues, and also guide major powers to pay attention to emerging technological issues such as the application of artificial intelligence, as well as governance in new domains such as cyberspace, outer space, and the deep sea and polar regions. We should also smooth out cooperation mechanisms and promote dialogue and coordination among major powers.

Whether in the past or in the future, China has always been a supporter, contributor and promoter of the UN cause. China was one of the founding members of the UN and was the first country to sign the UN Charter. On October 26, 1971, the 26th UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2758 by an overwhelming majority, deciding to restore the People's Republic of China's full rights in the UN and recognizing that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate representative of China in the UN. As a permanent member of the Security Council and the largest developing country, China has practiced the purposes and principles of the UN Charter through its actions, firmly maintained the international system centered on the UN, actively implemented the important agendas of the UN, advocated fair and reasonable reforms of the UN and the global governance system, and has always been a staunch supporter of multilateralism, a key contributor to global development, an active implementer of important UN agendas, and an important promoter of international peace and security. (Author: Chen Xiangyang, Director of the Overall National Security Outlook Research Center Office of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR); Zhao Jingya, Assistant Researcher of the World Politics Research Institute of the CICIR; Huang Zheng, Assistant Researcher of the Overall National Security Outlook Research Center Office of the CICIR)