Is the United Nations still relevant?

The relevance of the United Nations is one of the most hotly debated questions in modern geopolitics. With the organization marking its eighth decade, the UN faces a profound paradox: its core political and security bodies are more paralyzed than they have been in decades, yet its humanitarian, technical, and diplomatic functions remain utterly indispensable to the functioning of the global order.

An evaluation of whether the UN is still relevant requires looking at the arguments on both sides of the ledger.

Why the UN’s Relevance is Questioned (The Case Against)

Critics argue that the UN is increasingly anachronistic, bloated, and ineffective at maintaining its primary mandate: international peace and security.

•Security Council Paralysis: The most visible sign of UN dysfunction is the UN Security Council (UNSC). The permanent five members (the P5: U.S., Russia, China, UK, and France) hold unilateral veto power, which has repeatedly been used to block action on major global crises. Russia has vetoed resolutions regarding its invasion of Ukraine, while the U.S. has used its veto to block or alter resolutions on Gaza, leaving the Council unable to enforce its decisions on the world's most devastating conflicts.

•Outdated Power Dynamics: The structure of the UN still reflects the geopolitical reality of 1945. Africa, a continent of over 1.4 billion people across 54 nations, does not have a single permanent seat on the Security Council, despite the fact that a vast portion of the Council’s peacekeeping and security agenda concerns African states. The exclusion of major democratic and economic heavyweights like India, Japan, Brazil, and Germany further undermines the body's legitimacy.

•A Gripping Budgetary and Bureaucratic Crisis: The UN is a sprawling bureaucracy that many argue is slow, inefficient, and resistant to change. This has been compounded by severe financial crises and funding shortages. To address this, the UN launched the "UN80" reform initiative in 2025 to streamline operations, cut costs, and review outdated mandates. However, implementing these changes while trying to manage multiple active global emergencies has proved incredibly difficult.

•States Bypassing the UN: Because of UNSC gridlock, powerful states are increasingly bypassing the UN altogether. They are relying on smaller, exclusive "clubs" of like-minded nations (such as the G7, G20, NATO, or BRICS) or deploying ad-hoc coalitions and unilateral actions to solve security crises, making the UN look like a bystander.

Why the UN Remains Indispensable (The Case For)

Supporters argue that evaluating the UN solely through the lens of the deadlocked Security Council misses the vast majority of what the organization actually does.

•The Ultimate Humanitarian Safety Net: If the UN were to disappear tomorrow, millions of people would face immediate catastrophe. UN agencies represent the world's primary emergency responders:

•The World Food Programme (WFP) feeds over 100 million people annually.

•The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provides protection and aid to tens of millions of forcibly displaced people globally.

•UNICEF vaccinates nearly half of the world's children, saving millions of lives.

•Preventing Great-Power Escalation (World War III): While the UN has not stopped all wars, its original and primary purpose was to prevent a catastrophic, nuclear-armed conflict between great powers. By providing a permanent, continuous physical channel for diplomatic dialogue and deconfliction, the UN serves as a vital safety valve to keep major powers talking, even during moments of extreme tension.

•The Only Universal Forum: The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the only place on Earth where all 193 sovereign nations—regardless of wealth, size, or military power—have equal standing and a platform to voice their concerns. For many developing nations in the Global South, the UN is their only venue for international leverage and diplomatic projection.

•Global Norm-Setting and Technical Coordination: Modern globalization depends on "invisible" UN bodies. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standardizes global air travel, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulates shipping (which carries 90% of global trade), and the World Health Organization (WHO) coordinates responses to global health crises. Furthermore, global frameworks to tackle existential threats, such as the Paris Climate Agreement, only exist because the UN provides the negotiating architecture to bring every country to the table.

The Verdict: A Fragmented but Necessary "Shock Absorber"

The UN is currently at a critical turning point. As Secretary-General António Guterres’ second term draws to a close at the end of 2026, the race for his successor is taking place against a backdrop of deep polarization, budget constraints, and pressure to see the "UN80" reforms yield tangible results.

Ultimately, the UN is not a world government. It is a reflection of the states that comprise it; when those states are divided, the UN appears weak. However, the alternative to an imperfect UN is not a more peaceful world, but a far more dangerous, fragmented, and lawless international system.

As the second UN Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjöld, famously noted: "The UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell." In that light, the UN remains as relevant—and necessary—as ever.

Citations (9)

1assodesire.comNot yet classified
assodesire.com
Backs: “The relevance of the United Nations is one of the most hotly debated questions in modern geopolitics.”
2substack.comBlogs and newsletters
substack.com
Backs: “The relevance of the United Nations is one of the most hotly debated questions in modern geopolitics.”
3weforum.orgNonprofits and think tanks
weforum.org
Backs: “With the organization marking its eighth decade, the UN faces a profound paradox: its core political and security bodies are more paralyzed than they have been in decades, yet its humanitarian, technical, and diplomatic functions remain utterly indispensable to the functioning of the global order.”
4esade.eduAcademic
esade.edu
Backs: “With the organization marking its eighth decade, the UN faces a profound paradox: its core political and security bodies are more paralyzed than they have been in decades, yet its humanitarian, technical, and diplomatic functions remain utterly indispensable to the functioning of the global order.”
5usmission.govGovernment
usmission.gov
Backs: “Critics argue that the UN is increasingly anachronistic, bloated, and ineffective at maintaining its primary mandate: international peace and security.”
6globalaffairs.orgNonprofits and think tanks
globalaffairs.org
Backs: “Critics argue that the UN is increasingly anachronistic, bloated, and ineffective at maintaining its primary mandate: international peace and security.”
7unu.eduAcademic
unu.edu
Backs: “Security Council Paralysis: The most visible sign of UN dysfunction is the UN Security Council (UNSC). The permanent five members (the P5: U.S., Russia, China, UK, and France) hold unilateral veto power, which has repeatedly been used to block action on major global crises.”
8crisisgroup.orgNonprofits and think tanks
crisisgroup.org
Backs: “The exclusion of major democratic and economic heavyweights like India, Japan, Brazil, and Germany further undermines the body's legitimacy. A Gripping Budgetary and Bureaucratic Crisis: The UN is a sprawling bureaucracy that many argue is slow, inefficient, and resistant to change.”
9bohrpub.comAcademic
bohrpub.com
Backs: “A Gripping Budgetary and Bureaucratic Crisis: The UN is a sprawling bureaucracy that many argue is slow, inefficient, and resistant to change. This has been compounded by severe financial crises and funding shortages.”