UNGA 80 – what kind of UN does the world need today?

The 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA 80) is under way at a time when the UN faces existential challenges. Established 80 years ago to safeguard peace, foster cooperation and uphold the rights and dignity of all people, today the very foundations of the UN’s mission are being tested by various global trends: intensifying geopolitical rivalries, the climate crisis, record levels of forced displacement, eroding trust in multilateralism, and a systematic disregard for international humanitarian law – as is being witnessed in Gaza, Ukraine and elsewhere. The UN80 initiative was meant to generate fresh ideas and commitments to revitalise the organisation for the future. But the results so far have been limited – more a patchwork of incremental reforms than the kind of bold transformation many hoped for. As world leaders gather in New York for UNGA, this episode examines the credibility crisis facing the UN, and whether it can deliver the ambitious and urgent reforms needed to respond to today's fractured global order. Guests Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI Global Heba Aly , Director of Article 109 (formerly known as the UN Charter Reform Coalition) & Facilitator, ODI Global's Donors in a Post-Aid World (dPAW) dialogue series Freddie Carver, Director, Humanitarian Policy Group, ODI Global Natalie Samarasinghe, Executive Director of the Public Engagement Platform for climate action; Co-founder of the 1 for 8 Billion; CEO of the United Nations Association-UK Related resources ODI Global on UNGA 80 (Resources hub, ODI Global) Overcoming the obstacles to UN reform (Op-ed, Project Syndicate) Donors in a Post-Aid World (Project, ODI Global) What role should donors play in a post-aid world? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global) The future of global humanitarian action (Event video, ODI Global) What’s next for global cooperation? (Event video, ODI Global)

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UNGA 80 – what kind of UN does the world need today? is an episode from ODI podcasts by ODI podcasts.

This episode is 35:47 long.

This episode was published on Sep 11, 2025.

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