Relevance and Reform

The United Nations is at a point of legitimacy crisis, particularly from members of the so-called Global South who have long felt underrepresented by the institution. Walking through recent debates around trust and reform of the UN system, this article provides an analysis of the UN’s crisis of confidence and what can be done to reduce it. First, the article connects research on trust theories of international relations to the legitimacy and effectives of the UN. Second, it overviews recent debates about representation in the UN system, and provides an analysis of their feasibility built off of desk research and first-person interviews with diplomats and relevant sources. Results found that the UN is attempting to adapt to remain relevant, but the institution is quickly losing the trust of its membership because of its inability to evolve quickly enough.