Explainer: United Nations at 80

Approximate read time: 10 minutes

The modern UN is working in several ways not envisioned for it in 1945 by its founders.^[1] For example, in setting sustainable development goals and providing a basis for action amongst UN member states to limit global warming. These are reflected in what the UN now describes as its three key pillars—peace and security, sustainable development and human rights.^[2] In addition, the UN also describes the rule of law as one of the core concepts at the heart of its work.

As the UN reaches 80, questions remain over its effectiveness and whether it can address the rapidly evolving dynamics of the modern world.^[3] It has prompted the UN secretary-general to launch a modernisation programme aimed at ensuring the UN is fit for the challenges of the present and the future, as examined below.

1. What are the principal organs of the UN?

The UN is structured around six main organs, each with distinct functions:^[4]

1. General assembly (GA): The GA is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN. All 193 member states are represented, making it a unique forum for multilateral discussion on international issues. The GA meets annually in New York, where heads of state gather for the general debate. Decisions on certain questions, such as those on peace and security, admission of new members and budgetary matters, require a two-thirds majority. Decisions on other questions are by simple majority. Each year a GA president is elected to serve a one-year term of office. Former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock was elected president of the general assembly’s 80th session on 2 June 2025.^[5]
2. Security council: The security council has primary responsibility under the UN charter for the maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 members (five permanent and 10 non-permanent members). Each member has one vote, but the five permanent members have the power to veto any decision other than those on procedural issues. Under the charter, all member states are obligated to comply with council decisions. The security council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the security council can resort to imposing sanctions or authorise the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security. The security council has a presidency which rotates every month.
3. Economic and social council (ECOSOC): The ECOSOC is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as implementation of internationally agreed development goals. It serves as the central mechanism for activities of the UN system and its specialised agencies in the economic, social and environmental fields, supervising subsidiary and expert bodies. It has 54 members, elected by the GA for overlapping three-year terms.
4. Trusteeship council: Originally established to oversee the administration of trust territories (a non-self-governing territory placed under an administrative authority) and ensure their path to self-governance, the trusteeship council suspended its operations in 1994 after the last trust territory gained independence.
5. International Court of Justice (ICJ): The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the UN. Its seat is at the Peace Palace in the Hague (Netherlands). It is the only one of the six principal organs of the UN not located in New York. The court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by states and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorised UN organs and specialised agencies. The ICJ functions in accordance with its statute.^[6]
6. UN secretariat: Led by the secretary-general, the secretariat carries out the day-to-day work of the UN. It provides studies, information and facilities needed by the UN bodies for their meetings.

Beyond its principal organs, the UN family also includes a range of specialised agencies, funds, and programmes, including key international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank Group, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).^[7]

2. Who is the UN secretary-general and how long do they serve?

A secretary-general is appointed by the general assembly for a five-year term, on the recommendation of the security council. The selection of a secretary-general is therefore subject to the veto of any of the five permanent members of the security council. Although there is technically no limit to the number of five-year terms a secretary-general may serve, so far none have held office for more than two terms.

The current secretary-general is António Guterres, who has been in office since 1 January 2017.^[8] Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal, was re-appointed for a second term that began on 1 January 2022 and will end on 31 December 2026.

3. Reforming the UN: The UN80 initiative

Following on from 2024’s ‘Pact for the future’, which was adopted by the UN as “a new beginning to multilateralism”, 2025 has seen the UN secretary-general launch the UN80 initiative to transform how the UN works.^[9] This included efficiencies, reviewing how mandates are implemented, and examining potential structural changes and programme realignment within the United Nations system.

At the heart of UN80 are three major workstreams. The first is focused on improving internal efficiency and effectiveness, cutting red tape, and “optimising the UN’s global footprint by relocating some functions to lower-cost duty stations”.^[10] The second workstream is a mandate implementation review, which involves examining nearly 4,000 mandate documents underpinning the UN secretariat’s work. The third stream explores whether structural changes and programme realignment are needed across the UN system.

At the meeting of the UN general assembly in September 2025, the UN secretary general shared with member states a progress report on structural reforms and programme realignments which are taking place under workstream three.^[11] The report set out proposals to strengthen the UN’s delivery across all three pillars of its work while also advancing more effective collaboration across the pillars. It launched a “new humanitarian compact” to cut bureaucracy and integrate billions of dollars in global supply chains; established a systemwide human rights group to coordinate human rights systematically across all UN activities; and proposed the creation of a UN system data commons and a technology accelerator platform to drive the modernisation of the system.

4. An effective response to the UN’s critics?

The UN80 reform programme is in part a response to criticism that has been levelled at the UN over its effectiveness. These were evident again at the meeting of the general assembly in New York on 23 September 2025, notably from US President Donald Trump. In his remarks, President Trump was highly critical of the UN’s approach, saying:

Not only is the UN not solving the problems it should, too often, it is actually creating new problems for us to solve […] The United Nations is funding an assault on western countries and their borders […] The UN is supposed to stop invasions, not create them and not finance them.^[12]

Other world leaders notably spoke in favour of multilateralism, whilst recognising the need for the UN to adapt to a more complicated and fragmented world. Though he did not mention President Trump directly, French President Emmanuel Macron provided a defence of the current international order:

The world’s complexity is not a reason to throw in the towel on our principles and our ambitions. To a certain extent, ours is a moment of paradox. We need more than ever before to restore the spirit of cooperation that prevailed 80 years ago.^[13]

He added that the UN’s “harshest critics are also those that want to change the rule of the game, because they want to exert domination”.

President of the general assembly Annalena Baerbock said that the UN “clearly” needed to do better.^[14] However, she added that the international community should not let “cynics weaponise” areas where the UN had come in for criticism, such as in its response to Gaza and Ukraine, or “argue that the institution is a waste of money, outdated and irrelevant”. She said when the principles of the UN charter were “ignored”, it was not the document or the UN as an institution that has failed, adding:

The charter, our charter, is only as strong as member states’ willingness to uphold it. And their willingness to hold to account those who violate it.

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Cover image by Nils Huenerfuerst on Unsplash.