As the 80th United Nations General Assembly convenes in New York this September, the world’s attention is fixed on the iconic glass headquarters and the high-stakes drama unfolding within. But beneath the usual swirl of motorcades, impassioned speeches, and diplomatic handshakes, a deeper crisis is brewing: a crisis of trust, purpose, and survival for the UN and its fellow global institutions.
According to a sweeping new poll commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation and reported by Reuters, more than 36,300 people across 34 countries were surveyed from August to September 2025. The results are both hopeful and sobering. While an overwhelming majority—over 90%—believe international cooperation is essential for tackling issues like jobs, trade, food security, and global health, faith in the very organizations built for those tasks is faltering. Only 58% of respondents trust the United Nations, 60% the World Health Organization, and a mere 44% the International Monetary Fund. These are not just numbers; they’re flashing warning lights for the world’s multilateral system.
The UNGA’s agenda this year is dominated by the war in Gaza, a conflict that has raged since Hamas’s attack on southern Israel in October 2023. Nearly two years later, the death toll has surpassed 65,000, Gaza’s infrastructure lies in ruins, and the humanitarian situation has triggered outrage worldwide. Despite countless Security Council debates, resolutions, and mediation attempts, the UN has failed to broker a ceasefire. As Doctors Without Borders staff and supporters gathered outside UN Headquarters, they echoed the urgent call from UN experts to end what has been categorized as genocide in Gaza.
Diplomats are bracing for heated exchanges and tough questions. A French-Saudi conference on the two-state solution, slated for Monday, September 22, is expected to culminate with France, the UK, and other nations formally recognizing Palestine. This follows last week’s endorsement by 142 countries of a French and Saudi road map for Palestinian statehood, despite objections from Israel and the US. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, denied a US visa, will address the summit and deliver his UNGA speech by video link on Thursday, September 25. When pressed by The National about whether recognizing Palestine was a “gift to Hamas,” Secretary General Antonio Guterres was emphatic: “The two-state solution is not something that is in Hamas's programme. It is a gift to the Palestinian people that have suffered also a lot, also because of Hamas.”
Yet, as one UN diplomat cautioned, the recognition conference risks being just another paper declaration without enforcement. “A lot of focus will be on the day after and what is needed, not only to get to the two-state solution but also how it's managed.” The underlying message is clear: symbolism is not enough. Concrete progress is desperately needed, not just for Gaza but for the UN’s broader credibility.
The Assembly’s high-level week will also see the return of some familiar faces and unresolved tensions. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to attend, just months after US and Israeli strikes targeted Iranian nuclear and military facilities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address the General Assembly on Friday, September 26, with security talks ongoing between Israel and Syria’s new leader, Ahmad Al Shara—though no direct meeting is planned. Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump will make his return to the UN stage, delivering his address on Tuesday, September 23, and meeting with Secretary General Guterres. Trump is expected to urge the UN to act more forcefully in quelling conflicts, defending state sovereignty, and protecting free expression, according to statements from Washington’s temporary UN envoy Dorothy Shea.
This year’s UNGA is also shadowed by a worsening “liquidity crisis.” Many member states have failed to pay their dues on time or in full, forcing Secretary General Guterres to propose a 15% cut to the regular budget starting in 2026. The proposed budget would drop to $3.238 billion, eliminating 2,681 posts across the organization. The cuts will hit all three pillars of the UN’s work—peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development—though programs for the least developed countries will be protected. The General Assembly is expected to vote on the budget before the end of the year.
Humanitarian agencies are feeling the pinch. With funding drying up, climate disasters multiplying, and refugee numbers at historic highs, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals seem ever more elusive. As the Rockefeller Foundation’s poll revealed, people around the world support international cooperation if it delivers results, but only 42% see it as personally beneficial. “People are hungering for global cooperation to be done differently, for humanitarian assistance to be done differently,” Wally Adeyemo, former deputy treasury secretary under President Joe Biden and now tapped to lead the Rockefeller Foundation’s new $50 million “The Shared Future” initiative, told Reuters. “Traditional recipients of international aid would like to be in a place where they go from being aid recipients to being trade recipients.”
The new initiative aims to revive international cooperation, restructure global health, and reimagine humanitarian food systems. “The institutions that worked to advance human progress in the 20th century are struggling to meet the challenges of the 21st,” said Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah. “This moment of transformation is an opportunity to build on what’s working, forge new partnerships and leverage new technologies to deliver results for the world’s most vulnerable people.”
Yet, the gap between aspiration and execution remains vast. As the UN’s 80th anniversary approaches, diplomats, aid workers, and citizens alike are asking: can the world’s foremost multilateral institution adapt quickly enough to meet today’s challenges? Or will it be left behind, a relic of a more hopeful era?
For now, the world watches New York, hoping that the flurry of speeches, summits, and side meetings can spark real momentum. The stakes—peace, security, and the future of global cooperation—could hardly be higher.
