To Build Trust, the UN Needs to Deliver on Peace and Security.
.PNG)
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly is taking place under the theme “ Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation .” Opening the session on September 8th , the incoming president of the General Assembly, Khalilur Rahman, cited a “ widening trust deficit ” that is “ testing confidence in international institutions and collective action .” Concerns about trust in the UN are not new. At his swearing-in ceremony in 2016, António Guterres concluded his speech saying that his “contribution to the United Nations will be aimed at inspiring… trust.” Ten years later, the candidates to succeed him are again pledging to rebuild trust. Across their vision statements and interactive dialogues with the UN General Assembly, the eight current secretary-general candidates mentioned “trust,” “credibility,” “confidence,” and “legitimacy” nearly 400 times, including more than 100 times specifically in reference to the UN or the multilateral system. But whose trust are they referring to? In ma...
