International

Another go at reviving the UN

|NEW YORK

AVERSION from the United Nations—nowhere stronger than in the American Congress—gives its reform some of the thrill of a blood sport. Will the world-government beast be tamed, the “bloated bureaucracy” cut down? UN-phobes, lusting for sharper knives, may see the latest bid for reform, a report by the secretary-general, Kofi Annan, unveiled this week, as little more than a shuffling of the system, the pious expression of hope. Are they right?

This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “Another go at reviving the UN”

South-East Asia loses its grip

From the July 19th 1997 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

Discover more

illustration of a person leaning on a table with a red tie and orange-toned hands. In front are crossed U.S. and China flags, set against a bold red background

“Tariffers” v “traders”: the new contest for Donald Trump’s ear

Eye-witnesses to the drama of the first Trump presidency brace for the sequel

Special Investigation Police, conducting a citywide anti-gang operation, raid a house in the Barrio Abajo district where gang members are believed to be residing

The world is losing the fight against international gangs

Globalisation and technological progress are leading to a boom in organised crime


COP29 UNFCCC Climate Conference In Baku

Half a loaf, at best, from the climate talks

This year’s negotiations made very modest progress


Is your master’s degree useless?

New data show a shockingly high proportion of courses are a waste of money

The perils of appeasing a warlike Russia

Finland’s cold-war past offers urgent lessons for Ukraine’s future

The danger zone between two presidents

The world’s bad actors will relish any power vacuum