Reform or Decline: The United Nations at a Crossroads

The United Nations (UN) is going through a historically critical phase, as a new era of great-power rivalry undermines its authority. Paralyzed by the veto rights of the major powers in conflicts such as those in Ukraine and Gaza, the Security Council is degenerating into an echo chamber of international crises. Meanwhile, substantial funding cuts and the establishment of alternative political forums by the Trump administration are jeopardizing the UN’s fundamental mission to protect world peace. Against this backdrop, this working paper reviews the current state of the United Nations’ work on peace and security. It traces the evolution of the UN’s policy instruments across peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding; surveys major academic and policy debates on UN reform; and assesses the implications of these developments for the organization’s role in maintaining interna tional peace and security.