Overview

• This year’s UN General Assembly was dominated by debates on Palestine and Gaza, reinforcing doubts about the body’s ability to prevent conflict.
• UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that trust in global institutions is collapsing and called for urgent reforms to revive multilateralism.
• The United States has vetoed Gaza-related resolutions and Russia has blocked action on Ukraine, reinforcing perceptions of a paralysed Council.
• Reworking the Council requires Charter amendments that must be ratified by all five permanent members, a threshold widely viewed as unattainable for now.
• An Arab League statement urged Council expansion and action on veto constraints as some commentators pressed for downsizing, mergers and relocations to streamline the UN.