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. Through an analysis of recent debates around trust and reform of the UN system, this article explores 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 effectiveness of the UN. Second, it reviews recent debates about representation in the UN system, and provides an analysis of their feasibility drawing on desk research and first-person interviews with diplomats and relevant sources. It concludes 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.