Inside the U.N. General Assembly

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As world leaders congregate at the United Nations for annual meetings this week, they will find a global body increasingly paralyzed by disagreements between big powers. Is the U.N. too divided to be effective? Do proposals for reform have any chance of advancing? Veteran U.N. watcher Richard Gowan joined FP Live to explore the future of decision-making on the Palestinians, Ukraine, and other key issues.

Video clips from this event

  • Richard Gowan explains how divisions in the United Nations over Israel’s war in Gaza have diminished America’s reputation and eroded trust in the organization as a whole.

  • Are America’s geopolitical rivals playing spoiler on the U.N. Security Council? Gowan explains how China and Russia each use their permanent seat and veto power.

  • There have long been calls to reform the U.N. Security Council to better represent the modern world. But what chance do they have of success?

  • Gowan reflects on President Joe Biden’s final U.N. address and the role of such high-profile meetings for international diplomacy.

Read the Transcript

A view of the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Sept. 22.

Can the United Nations Still Be Effective?

War tends to stymie the international body, but smaller technical agencies still play a crucial role in running the world.

Insider  |  Ravi Agrawal

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FP Live: The Ask-Me-Anything Edition

On a special ask-me-anything episode, regular host Ravi Agrawal will take stock of a world at war. What does the Iran conflict mean for the global economy or traditional alliances? More than a year into U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, how are world leaders navigating his leadership? And what of the U.S.-China relationship? FP Live’s executive producer, Dana Sherne, turned the tables on Agrawal, taking questions from FP subscribers and viewers alike.

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Inside the U.N. General Assembly

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