Time to embrace ‘hard truths’ to restore trust: UN General Assembly president

UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, MYANMAR, SUDAN, GAZA, UKRAINE, HAITI, ASEAN, MEKONG RIVER, SOUTH CHINA SEA, WASHINGTON (IMPLIED VIA UN CONTEXT), 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 —

UN Chief Calls for Radical Reforms as Global Trust Plummets, Warning Institution Faces ‘Existential’ Crisis

The United Nations must confront its deepest failures—from unresolved conflicts in Gaza and Sudan to systemic underfunding and rising global hatred—if it is to survive as a relevant force in the 21st century, its General Assembly president warned in a blunt address on Tuesday.

Khalilur Rahman, presiding over the 81st session, declared that the UN’s 80-year existence alone is no guarantee of success, as public skepticism over its effectiveness has reached a breaking point, with critics no longer questioning its existence but demanding proof of its impact.

The stakes could not be higher. With global military spending nearing $3 trillion—a record 11 years of consecutive growth—while UN development aid plunged 23% year-on-year to $175 billion, Rahman framed the disparity as a moral and operational failure.

His remarks, delivered against a backdrop of escalating wars, AI-driven disinformation, and surging hate speech, amounted to an urgent call for structural reform, particularly in the Security Council, where Africa—despite contributing the most peacekeepers—remains without a permanent seat after eight decades.

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A House Divided: The UN’s Crisis of Credibility

Rahman’s speech laid bare the institution’s contradictions. While the UN has delivered measurable successes—such as repatriating nearly five million displaced Iraqis and sustaining aid operations in Haiti amid security crises—its inability to resolve protracted conflicts has eroded global confidence. The Palestinian question, the war in Ukraine, the genocide in Myanmar, and the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan were cited as persistent wounds, overshadowing even its most tangible achievements.

“Outside these walls, people are not asking whether the United Nations still exists,” Rahman said. “They are asking whether it works.” His warning struck at the heart of the UN’s legitimacy: trust is not passive, he argued, but must be actively earned. Without proactive ownership from member states, the institution risks becoming irrelevant, he said, adding that “passive ownership is not enough.

If we do not claim proactive ownership of this place, we cannot expect it to heal.”

The president’s plea for reform extended beyond rhetoric. He renewed demands for Security Council expansion, particularly for Africa, which provides the bulk of UN peacekeepers but holds no permanent seat—a structural imbalance he called “unacceptable.” His call echoed long-standing critiques from Global South nations, who argue that the Council’s outdated composition reflects Cold War-era power dynamics rather than 21st-century geopolitics.

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The Funding Gap: How $3 Trillion in Military Spending Exposed UN’s Fiscal Failure

The financial disconnect between global priorities and UN resources was among Rahman’s most damning indictments. While military expenditures hit $3 trillion in 2025—up from $2.2 trillion a decade earlier—development aid from the UN system collapsed to $175 billion, a 23% drop from the previous year. The figures, provided by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), underscored a world where resources flow toward conflict rather than peacebuilding.

“This is not just a funding crisis,” Rahman said. “It is a crisis of values.” He framed the disparity as a choice: whether the world would prioritize destruction or reconstruction, war or diplomacy. The UN’s peacekeeping missions, often derided as ineffective, were defended by a representative from a war-torn nation who described them not as “Blue Helmets” but as “builders of roads and communities”—a rare acknowledgment of their ground-level impact amid broader failures.

Yet even these successes were overshadowed by the UN’s struggle to adapt to new threats. Rahman pointed to artificial intelligence as an existential risk, warning that unchecked development could lead to an “arms race for control” with catastrophic consequences.

“We cannot allow AI to carry us over the precipice,” he said, urging the creation of “prudent and reliable guardrails” informed by independent scientific expertise—a call that gained urgency as AI systems increasingly influence global governance, from election interference to autonomous weapons.

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Hate Speech and Digital Warfare: The UN’s Battle for Human Dignity in the Age of Misinformation

If the UN’s financial and structural failures were one crisis, the rise of digitally amplified hatred represented another. Rahman described how islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, and misogyny were spreading at unprecedented speeds, fueled by algorithms designed to exploit division. “Whether it is islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, or misogyny, it’s all the same… hatred, repackaged and relabelled,” he said, condemning the weaponization of social media by political actors.

His remarks followed reports from the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which documented a 40% increase in hate speech incidents globally since 2023, with women, minorities, and refugees bearing the brunt. Rahman warned that new technologies—from deepfake propaganda to AI-generated disinformation—were accelerating the spread of violence, often with state backing.

“Let us use the tools of our age not to deepen fear, but to widen understanding and advance human dignity, for everyone, everywhere,” he said. The challenge, he acknowledged, was monumental: how to counter digital hate without becoming complicit in censorship. The UN’s own social media teams have struggled with this balance, with some member states pushing for content moderation while others resist restrictions on free speech—a tension Rahman did not shy away from addressing.

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Malaysia and the Region: A Test Case for UN Reform

For Southeast Asia, the UN’s credibility crisis carries particular weight. Malaysia, a longstanding supporter of multilateralism, has increasingly voiced frustration over the Security Council’s deadlock on issues like Myanmar’s Rohingya crisis and the South China Sea disputes. Kuala Lumpur’s diplomatic efforts to mediate regional conflicts—such as its role in the ASEAN-led talks on the Mekong River disputes—have often been undermined by the UN’s perceived inability to enforce resolutions.

Rahman’s call for African representation in the Security Council resonates strongly in ASEAN, where nations like Indonesia and Malaysia have pushed for broader reform. In 2024, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, Retired General Hishammuddin Hussein, told the UN General Assembly that “the Security Council must reflect the realities of the 21st century,” a sentiment Rahman’s speech reinforced.

The financial disparities also hit home. Malaysia, like other developing nations, has seen its voluntary contributions to UN peacekeeping and humanitarian funds decline due to domestic budget constraints. In 2025, Kuala Lumpur reduced its pledge to the UN Peacebuilding Fund by 15%, citing economic pressures from global inflation and supply chain disruptions.

Rahman’s warning about the $175 billion aid shortfall may force Malaysia to reconsider its priorities, particularly as it balances domestic spending with its commitment to global solidarity.

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The AI and Technology Front: Can the UN Keep Up?

Rahman’s urgency on AI governance struck a nerve in a region where digital sovereignty is a growing concern. Malaysia, home to Grab, AirAsia, and Petronas, has positioned itself as a hub for tech innovation, but its government has also expressed caution over unregulated AI development.

In 2025, Malaysia’s Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) launched a National AI Ethics Framework, partly in response to global debates over AI bias and job displacement—issues Rahman highlighted as requiring international cooperation.

The UN’s own AI initiatives, such as the Global AI Policy Centre, have been criticized for moving too slowly. Rahman’s call for “scientific input from outside government” may signal a shift toward greater transparency, but skepticism remains. In Singapore, where AI adoption is advanced, officials have privately questioned whether the UN can compete with China’s AI governance model or the EU’s AI Act in setting global standards.

For Malaysia, the challenge is twofold: how to leverage AI for economic growth while ensuring ethical safeguards. Rahman’s warning about an “arms race for AI control” aligns with concerns raised by Malaysian cybersecurity experts, who have cautioned against AI-driven cyber warfare in the region. With ASEAN nations increasingly targeted by state-sponsored hacking groups, the UN’s role in mitigating these risks will be closely watched.

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The Path Forward: Can the UN Heal?

Rahman’s speech closed with a stark assessment: the UN cannot treat its crises with “temporary painkillers” when what is needed is “a deeper diagnosis and a more profound plan for transformation.” His call for action was direct—member states must take ownership, reform the Security Council, and reallocate resources toward peacebuilding rather than war.

Yet the road ahead is fraught with obstacles. The Security Council’s paralysis on reform has persisted for decades, with permanent members like the U.S., China, and Russia blocking any changes that threaten their veto power. Rahman’s plea for an African permanent seat may gain traction in the Global South, but resistance from Western powers remains a hurdle.

On funding, the $175 billion shortfall reflects a broader trend: donor fatigue. Wealthy nations, including Malaysia’s traditional allies in the West, have increasingly directed aid toward bilateral programs rather than UN-led initiatives. Rahman’s warning that “the task is not easy, nor can it be done overnight” underscores the scale of the challenge.

For Malaysia, the question is whether it will use its 2026 ASEAN chairmanship to push for UN reforms, particularly on digital governance and conflict resolution. The country’s experience in mediating regional disputes—such as its role in the Brunei-Malaysia-Singapore maritime talks—could position it as a bridge between the Global South and Western powers. But success will depend on whether the UN can move beyond rhetoric and deliver tangible change.

As Rahman’s speech concluded, one fact remained undeniable: the UN’s survival depends on its ability to adapt. For Malaysia and the region, the coming years will test whether the world’s preeminent multilateral body can rise to the challenge—or risk fading into irrelevance.