World leaders begin convening on Monday, September 22, 2025, at one of the most volatile and defining moments in the United Nations’ 80-year history. The annual UN General Assembly in New York, traditionally a platform for dialogue and cooperation, is opening against the backdrop of a world gripped by conflicts, shifting alliances, and transformative technological upheavals. From unyielding wars in Gaza and Ukraine to growing global hunger and the dizzying pace of artificial intelligence, the challenges facing humanity have rarely felt more urgent—or more complex.
A United Nations in Crisis
The United Nations was born in 1945, out of the ashes of World War II, with the vision that nations working together could prevent another global catastrophe. Its charter committed members to maintaining peace, advancing human rights, and fostering social and economic progress. Eight decades on, however, the institution finds itself struggling under the weight of its own promises.
Diplomats and observers increasingly describe the UN as being “in crisis.” Structural limitations, such as the veto power of the five permanent members of the Security Council, have left the body paralyzed in the face of conflicts like Ukraine and Gaza. While resolutions are debated in New York, bombs continue to fall and civilians continue to suffer.
For many, this year’s General Assembly is not simply a ceremonial gathering but a reckoning: can the UN adapt to the new realities of the 21st century, or will it continue to falter in moments of greatest need?
Wars That Defy Diplomacy
Two conflicts dominate this year’s discussions.
In Ukraine, Russia’s invasion—now well into its fourth year—has become a protracted war of attrition. Despite repeated calls for ceasefires and peace negotiations, neither side shows willingness to compromise. The war has devastated Ukraine’s infrastructure, displaced millions of people, and strained relations between Russia and the West to levels not seen since the Cold War.
Meanwhile, the war in Gaza rages with relentless intensity. What began as renewed clashes has escalated into one of the bloodiest conflicts in the region’s modern history. Civilian casualties have reached catastrophic levels, humanitarian aid is restricted, and efforts at mediation by regional and international actors have failed to gain traction. The UN has passed numerous resolutions urging for peace, yet divisions among global powers have blocked meaningful action.
Both conflicts expose the fragility of international law and the limitations of global diplomacy. For the UN, they are stark reminders of the gap between its founding ideals and its ability to enforce them.
Shifts in U.S. Global Policy
Compounding the sense of uncertainty is the shifting role of the United States. Long considered the anchor of the postwar international order, Washington’s approach to global leadership is undergoing significant change. A mix of domestic political pressures, foreign policy recalibrations, and strategic realignments has created unpredictability in America’s stance on key issues.
Some U.S. allies express unease at what they see as a retreat from multilateralism, while others welcome a more restrained Washington that seeks to prioritize national over global interests. Either way, the ripple effects are being felt across the UN and beyond. In a system where U.S. leadership has often been decisive, its evolving posture raises new questions about who will take up the mantle of defending international norms.
Hunger on the Rise
Beyond the headlines of war and geopolitics lies another crisis that will dominate this year’s agenda: hunger. The UN’s World Food Programme warns that the number of people facing acute food insecurity continues to rise, fueled by conflicts, climate change, and economic instability.
In Africa, droughts in the Horn of Africa and floods in parts of West Africa have compounded food shortages. In the Middle East, ongoing wars have left millions dependent on humanitarian aid. Even in wealthier nations, rising food prices are leaving vulnerable populations at risk.
The stark reality is that in 2025, at a time of unprecedented global wealth and technological advancement, millions still go to bed hungry each night. For UN officials, this is not just a humanitarian issue but a moral test of the international community’s priorities.
The Double-Edged Sword of Technology
If war and hunger are urgent crises, technology represents both promise and peril. Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and digital platforms are advancing at a speed that often outpaces regulatory frameworks and ethical debates.
AI in particular has sparked concern. While it offers potential breakthroughs in healthcare, climate modeling, and education, it also raises alarms about disinformation, unemployment, surveillance, and even the prospect of autonomous weapons.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has repeatedly warned that the world is not keeping pace with these rapid changes. Without global cooperation, he cautions, technology could deepen inequalities, undermine democracy, and create new security threats. This year’s General Assembly is expected to feature calls for a global framework to govern emerging technologies—an ambitious but increasingly urgent goal.
Can the UN Still Deliver?
As the United Nations enters its ninth decade, the central question lingers: can it remain relevant? Its defenders argue that despite shortcomings, the UN provides an indispensable forum where nations—big and small—can be heard. Its agencies, from UNICEF to the World Health Organization, continue to deliver life-saving aid and shape global policy.
Critics, however, say the institution has become a stage for speeches rather than solutions. They point to the inability to stop wars, enforce human rights, or prevent humanitarian disasters as evidence of an organization in decline.
This year’s gathering may not resolve these contradictions, but it offers an opportunity. With presidents, prime ministers, and diplomats assembled in one place, the stage is set for urgent discussions about reform, responsibility, and the future of global governance.
The Weight of History
The UN has weathered crises before: the Cold War, decolonization, genocides, and terrorism. Each time, it has struggled yet endured, adapting in fits and starts. The question in 2025 is whether it can rise to meet challenges that are global, interconnected, and existential.
From climate change to artificial intelligence, from hunger to war, the issues on the table this week will shape not only the fate of nations but the trajectory of humanity itself.
As one diplomat observed ahead of the meetings: “The UN is not perfect, but without it, we would have nothing. The choice before us is not whether to abandon the UN, but whether to make it live up to what the world now demands.”
