U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the eightieth session of the UN General Assembly, on September 23, 2025. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) |
CFR James H. Binger Senior Fellow in Global Governance Brimmer examines President Donald Trump’s speech at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September. She explains how the U.S. president’s words have immense implications. In effect, he eschewed the subjects of a shared humanity across borders and the need for international cooperation to resolve global challenges. Check out the breakdown
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Explore additional CFR resources on UN topics: |
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British Foreign Secretary David Lammy holds up a copy of the UN Charter as he speaks during a UN Security Council meeting on the conflict between Ukraine and Russia at the UN headquarters in New York City on September 24, 2024. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images)
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The UN Charter has steered the world through numerous crises. A new and modern interpretation of the document will help leaders address the growing number of existential global challenges they now face, argues CFR Senior Fellow Scheffer. Read the analysis |
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Amid mounting global challenges, government and organizational leaders speaking at CFR during UNGA emphasized that the world is undergoing a profound transformation in areas such as energy, trade, and security. Check out the highlights |
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres launches the UN80 Initiative at the organization’s headquarters in New York City, on March 12, 2025. (Liao Pan/China News Service/VCG/Getty Images) |
As UNGA convened for its eightieth session, one major topic of debate was the secretary-general’s internal reform plan, which proposes significant budget cuts and agency consolidations. CFR writers Ferragamo and Roy explain what those changes could mean for the United Nations’ future. Read the article
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Council of Councils Experts |
Fifteen Council of Councils members discuss the reform, restructuring, and leadership that the United Nations needs to navigate this turbulent new era and remain the principal forum for resolving issues of global governance. Read their analyses |
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A Bosniak woman searches coffins in Potočari, near Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on July 9, 2011. (David Ruvic/Reuters) |
July marked the thirtieth anniversary of the killing of thousands of Bosnian Muslims, the first genocide in Europe since the Holocaust. Yet alongside global commemorations, denial persists. Scheffer digs into the issue. Read the analysis |
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CFR Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies Takeyh argues that zero nuclear enrichment is no longer solely an American position, and it will isolate the Iranian regime even further at a volatile time in the Middle East. Find out more |
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Scheffer and International Bar Association Executive Director Ellis provide an introduction to the UN Charter and make the case that it is the most important secular document in the world. Order the book |
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An Afghan refugee girl walks past a registration center with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) signage in the Takhta Pul district in Kandahar Province, in April 2025. (Sanaullah Seiam/AFP/Getty Images) |
The Trump administration has chosen to retreat from UN human rights standards and processes. Human rights and justice experts Powell, Van Schaack, and Cormier Smith explain why those decisions make Americans less safe. Read the analysis |
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CFR Douglas Dillon Senior Fellow for Africa Studies Obadare writes on Pan-Africanism, ideological clashes between Africans and diasporic Africans, and Africa’s need to rally around proven ideas. Check out the article |
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