The UN’s Role in a Changing Global Landscape

This chapter describes a fraught global landscape in which the pace and nature of change have outstripped the ability for human beings and their states to manage its downsides or equitably share its upsides. The interconnections are not yet reflected in who sits at the table, what tools are used, or even what problems are on the agenda. Such profound change is testing the UN as never before. However, it could also trigger a renewed sense of common purpose. The ninth Secretary-General can turn this crisis into an opportunity to drive through long-needed reforms and to position the UN as the key platform for collectively managing shared global risks and problems. Success would mean understanding and getting ahead of major global trends, rather than merely reacting to them.