The United Nations enters 2026 at a time when armed conflicts, increased political tensions, and institutional weaknesses, especial financial, converge into a mega-crisis. The world society is faced with vast transformations being brought about by powerful economic, political, and cultural forces. Thus, there is a need to strengthen world institutions which should command such general acceptance to replace unilateral actions by individual States based on narrow domestic political considerations.
However an orderly world society is not a society without change. There must be sufficient methods for solving grievences with modalities for the peaceful settlement of disputes. Dispute avoidance is at least as important as dispute settlement. One way to avoid international disputes is to identify them before they heat up and to provide means by which the prospective disputants may iron out their differences before any damage is done.
The United Nations General Assembly already in 1988 had adopted the "Declaration on the Prevention and Removal of Disputes and Situations Which May Threaten International Peace and Security." The Declaration highlighted the need to make greater use of fact finding missions.
2026 will see a change of leadership within the U.N. with the election of a new Secretary-General. There is a current review of the functioning of the U.N. and proposals are set out for improvements and reforms.
Non-governmental organizations should also use this effort to review their cooperation with the U.N. and its Specialized Agencies such as UNESCO and the ILO. Many positive developments occur first in the Specialized Agencies and then are carried to other U.N. structures.
Popular will and non-governmental action is crucial for the functioning of the U.N. 2026 will be a year to advance humanity's higher aspirations.
René Wadlow, Association of World Citizens
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