UNGA80: What is UN80 and key issues to watch

We’re speaking just ahead of the opening of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. What does this moment represent?

It’s remarkable to think the UN has brought countries together for 80 years. But anniversaries are also moments of reflection. The UN80 Initiative launched by the UN Secretary-General earlier this year is a reform initiative that is asking tough questions about the organization’s design and its future. The world is not what it was in 1945. Change is inevitable. Responding to the shifting geopolitical landscape and keeping the organization nimble are critical if it is to remain relevant for the next 80 years.

Trust is key. Member states drive the UN’s mandates, so their ownership of the process matters.

 

A year on from the Pact for the Future—which many hailed as a success for the UN—where does multilateralism stand today?

As we approach the deadline for the 2030 Agenda and its sustainable development goals (SDGs), many see the Pact as the last, best chance to strengthen multilateral cooperation for years to come. It’s full of commitments, but in some ways it’s the “what.” UN80 is the “how”—the process for rethinking how the UN can deliver on the commitments.

What is UN80? And what is it trying to achieve?

The UN was set up after the Second World War, at a time when global power and wealth were concentrated in a few countries. Since then, membership has expanded, and middle-income countries have grown in influence. Yet some of the original structures—such as the global financial system—remain largely unchanged and often fail to serve the poorest countries. The UN80 Initiative is about confronting these imbalances and exploring reforms that reflect today’s realities. At the same time, the UN is facing a difficult financial moment, which adds urgency to the reform debate.

Against this backdrop, the UN80 Initiative task force is looking at ways to improve the organization’s efficiency, review existing mandates, and propose structural changes—the initiative’s three workstreams.

The aim is not just financial efficiency, but greater effectiveness—putting UN staff closer to the communities where projects are delivered, rather than keeping them at a distance from the partners they are working with.

 

How much of this is about efficiency and cost-cutting in the UN, and how much is about building trust and ensuring delivery?

Trust is key. Member states drive the UN’s mandates, so their ownership of the process matters. Reforms may result in some changes to UN agencies and reduced or relocated staff, but these changes are not only about cost savings. For example, one proposal is to shift more staff from headquarters in New York or Geneva to UN offices like Nairobi. The aim is not just financial efficiency, but greater effectiveness—putting UN staff closer to the communities where projects are delivered, rather than keeping them at a distance from the partners they are working with.

Is there anything new about this round of UN reform?  

One of the three workstreams is looking at the sheer number of mandates the UN has accumulated over the decades. There are 4,000 mandate documents and over 40,000 mandates. About 85% have no instruction for review or sunset clauses. Now, new tools such as AI can help assess which mandates overlap, which remain relevant, and which may be redundant. In addition to looking at past mandates, the hope is to support member states as they propose new mandates going forward. The goal isn’t to undermine the UN’s work but to reduce duplication and increase impact.

Looking more broadly at global cooperation within the UN system, it might be disheartening to see how negotiations on pressing issues, such as the plastics treaty talks, failed to conclude successfully. Can multilateralism still make progress in the current geopolitical moment?

It’s true the plastics treaty talks have now stalled, but that’s not the whole story. There are successes, too. For example, alongside the plastics process, countries launched negotiations for a new Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution. Last year, it wasn’t certain countries would agree to establish this new body to provide the latest science on pollution to policy-makers—but on June 20, 2025, those talks concluded successfully.

We’ve also seen movement on financing for development at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, strong outcomes at the Third UN Ocean Conference and the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake, and the entry into force of the World Trade Organization deal on fisheries subsidies. Another major step—the Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, which will help protect biodiversity in the high seas—has been ratified by 57 countries plus the EU as of September 16, 2025. It will come into force after 60 countries ratify it.

So yes, these are difficult times. But we are seeing that despite some realignments, countries around the world still see value in multilateralism. Some countries are emerging as new leaders while others are withdrawing from the international stage. That shifts the dynamics, but it doesn’t change the fact that nations still need the UN as a place to coordinate their efforts.

That shifts the dynamics, but it doesn’t change the fact that nations still need the UN as a place to coordinate their efforts.

 

Ahead of the high-level week at the UN General Assembly, what should we be watching?

One priority is accelerating the submission of new national climate plans, or nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Under the Paris Agreement, all countries were due to submit updated NDCs by February 2025, but by the end of August, only about 30 had done so. There will be an effort to showcase new submissions during the Climate Summit on Wednesday, September 24.

Another focus is the first Biennial Summit for a Sustainable, Inclusive, and Resilient Global Economy, which was mandated by the Pact for the Future. This summit comes on the heels of the recent Seville meeting and will be critical to sustaining momentum on reforming the global financial system.

The annual SDG Moment comes 10 years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and as we look for renewed commitment to move faster during the final 5 years of this ambitious goal set. We’ll also see high-profile events on gender equality and youth action marking, respectively, 30 years since the Fourth World Conference on Women took place in Beijing, as well as the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the first UN action plan on programs and policies for youth. Both events speak to the longer-term future of the UN—how are member states defining the challenges and opportunities for inclusion and equity? And how will they engage the next generation and ensure diverse voices shape what comes next?

Change is inevitable. Responding to the shifting geopolitical landscape and keeping the organization nimble are critical if it is to remain relevant for the next 80 years.

 

What are you hoping to see from this week?

During the opening session of the General Assembly, countries preview their positions on global challenges and where they are seeking to take the lead—as well as where roadblocks might emerge. Ideas around the UN80 Initiative will be shared, and we will be listening for the level of ambition that heads of state and government reveal they are ready to embrace. With nearly 150 heads of state expected to gather next week, the opening of the UN General Assembly creates a rare opportunity for leaders to be briefed on pressing global issues and for countries to share where they align on positions. These conversations are vital for recalibrating the system and identifying the actors who can push global priorities forward.