A diplomat's bitter words about the UN. It speaks of a serious crisis

Sandro Calvani, former high representative of the UN and Caritas, notes that the balance of 80 years of UN activity is nevertheless positive. The world, as he emphasizes, has moved from rebuilding nations towards a vision of sustainable development and global cooperation. Also thanks to it, life expectancy increased from 47 to 73 years, and the percentage of people living in extreme poverty dropped from over 50%. up to 8.5 percent

“They are impressive proof of the effectiveness of international cooperation led by the UN on issues that are most important to people's lives,” says the diplomat in an interview with “La Civilta Cattolica”. However, despite these achievements, the system that was supposed to guarantee peace is now in crisis.

UN weaknesses. The former representative talks about the selfishness of member states

The most visible symptom of this weakness is the paralysis of the Security Council, which results from mutual vetoes of permanent members, primarily the USA and Russia. As a result, the UN failed to stop Russian aggression against Ukraine, the conflict in the Gaza Strip, or the tragedies in Sudan and Myanmar. The number of peacekeepers has fallen from over 100,000. in 2016 to approximately 68 thousand in 2024and peacekeeping missions are increasingly perceived as anachronistic. Calvani, however, reminds us that for decades it was the UN that brokered ceasefires and peace treaties – from Korea to Bosnia – saving millions of lives.

According to the Italian diplomat, the source of today's crisis is not the UN itself, but the selfishness of the member states. “New in many scenarios the dominant belief is: “my country is the most important” — an absurd idea that should melt away in the face of the evidential interdependence of nations,” Calvani notes.

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It emphasizes that more and more governments reject international law and act unilaterally, often in violation of the humanitarian law of war. “Instead of supporting the organization, they make it a scapegoat and refuse to pay contributions,” he notes. As a result The UN becomes a victim of the processes it was intended to contain — militarization of politics, rise of nationalism and erosion of trust in international institutions.

A diplomat on the future of the UN. It points to the need to restore shared responsibility

Calvani points out that military spending has increased for the ninth year in a row, reaching $2.4 trillion. per year, while “the UN budget is less than the annual expenses of the New York Police Department”. In his opinion, social pressure, disinformation and the politics of fear are growing, fueled by “militant leaders” who, he says, “fabricate threats to justify their own power.”

The remedy, according to Calvani, is a return to “the foundations of international law and a renewal of the spirit of multilateralism.” The diplomat suggests that the disarmament process should be accelerated and the already prepared UN reforms should be implemented – including the idea of ​​establishing a global parliamentary assembly that would increase the democratic legitimacy of the organization and limit national egoisms. Despite growing difficulties, Calvani still sees potential in the UN. Ultimately, as he emphasizes, “the organization failed not through its own fault, but because states stopped believing in it.”