Eighty years later, is the UN still fit for purpose?, by Timothy Ali Samuel
Eighty years after its establishment, the United Nations stands at a crossroads. Founded in 1945 with the vision of saving humanity from war and advancing peace, security, and development, it was humanity’s boldest attempt at collective governance. Yet today, the institution’s relevance is being severely tested. From the wars in Ukraine and Gaza to crises in Sudan, Yemen, and Myanmar, and the worsening climate emergency, the UN increasingly appears paralysed, incapable of decisive action at the moments it is most needed.
The very structure that once secured the UN’s authority after World War II has now become its greatest weakness. The Security Council, created to safeguard international peace, has turned into a chamber of deadlock. Its five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—wield veto powers that often override the will of the wider membership. This imbalance was starkly visible in the Council’s inability to pass resolutions on Ukraine, Gaza, and Syria, where rivalries among the powerful eclipsed humanitarian imperatives. For nations in the Global South, the system entrenches exclusion, sidelining them from decisions with global consequences.
At its 80th General Assembly in New York, the cracks in this structure were laid bare. African leaders, no longer mincing words, issued a blunt demand: reform or fade into irrelevance. Their speeches were neither appeals for favour nor diplomatic politeness, but firm reminders that the UN must evolve. Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima underscored this reality, recalling that when the UN was formed, Nigeria was still a colony, absent from the decision-making tables of 1945. Today, it is home to more than 236 million people, on track to become the world’s third most populous nation, and a consistent contributor to peacekeeping. Yet it still lacks a permanent seat on the Security Council. His message was unambiguous: credibility can only be restored if the UN reflects today’s world, not yesterday’s.
Kenya’s President William Ruto sharpened the argument further. Taking the UNGA podium, he demanded two permanent Security Council seats for Africa, including veto power. This, he insisted, was not charity but survival for the institution itself. Africa, with 1.4 billion people and some of the fastest-growing economies, cannot remain voiceless in a Council that devotes much of its agenda to African crises. “Africa dominates the Security Council’s debates,” Ruto noted, “yet we remain the only continent without a permanent seat at the table.” His frustration mirrored the impatience of a rising continent unwilling to remain on the margins.
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The gap between the UN’s rhetoric and its results is widening. Peacekeeping missions struggle to cope, global development goals lag far behind, and public faith in multilateralism is wearing thin. In Africa’s Lake Chad region, terrorism and displacement persist with sluggish responses. In Asia, the plight of the Rohingya remains unresolved. Globally, poverty and hunger are rising again, while the Sustainable Development Goals drift off target.
Even so, the UN is not without successes. It has shaped the Paris Agreement on climate change, facilitated the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and coordinated humanitarian aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. Agencies such as WHO, UNICEF, WFP, and UNHCR remain indispensable lifelines. Yet these achievements highlight a paradox: the UN functions best when insulated from geopolitics, and falters most when political will is essential.
This crisis of relevance is unfolding in a rapidly shifting global order. As Finnish President Alexander Stubb observed, the post-Cold War era is over, and power is moving south and east. Africa, Asia, and Latin America are emerging as political, economic, and cultural powerhouses. Demographics alone make this shift inevitable, with Africa’s youthful population spearheading innovation and growth. To deny these regions greater representation is to deny the reality of the 21st century.
Reform is no longer an option but an existential imperative. Expanding the Security Council to include permanent seats for Africa and Latin America has been discussed endlessly but never acted upon. Proposals to restrict veto use in cases of genocide or mass atrocities remain blocked by those who profit from the system. Meanwhile, smaller nations grow increasingly disillusioned, questioning why an institution founded on the promise of “We the Peoples” continues to serve primarily “We the Powerful.”
As it marks eight decades, the UN must choose between renewal and irrelevance. Reform must begin with rebuilding trust by making the organisation more representative, transparent, and accountable. This requires democratising the Security Council, empowering the General Assembly, and investing more in conflict prevention than crisis reaction. It also demands genuine inclusion of youth, civil society, and marginalised communities, not just symbolic participation.
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The global landscape of 2025 is far from that of 1945. New threats—cyber insecurity, artificial intelligence, pandemics, and climate-driven migration—require a UN that is nimble and forward-looking. Increasingly, regional organisations such as the African Union and ASEAN are stepping in where the UN lags. Unless reformed, the UN’s authority will continue to erode, replaced by ad-hoc coalitions and regional alliances.
The UN has often been described as humanity’s “last best hope.” Whether it can live up to that title depends on the willingness of its member states to embrace reform. The alternative is to watch it slowly lose relevance, reduced to little more than an institution that issues statements while real decisions are made elsewhere.
At 80, the UN has both the maturity to understand its shortcomings and the capacity to change. The real question is not whether reform is possible, but whether the political will exists. History will not pause, and the world cannot afford a UN that drifts. The moment of decision is now.
Timothy Ali Samuel is a student of Mass Communication at the Muhammadu Buhari University of Maiduguri (formerly University of Maiduguri), Borno State.
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