By Jesselina Rana, CIVICUS' UN New York Advisor
For 80 years, men have exclusively led the United Nations. During that time, the world has not become more peaceful, equal, or cooperative. Violent conflicts have reached their highest levels since the UN’s founding, trust in multilateralism continues to erode, and member states selectively invoke international law, wield vetoes to shield allies, and withhold contributions, pushing the institution toward recurring financial crises. The Sustainable Development Goals have fallen off track, and in many countries, progress is reversing. As the UN prepares to appoint its next secretary–general, the question is no longer whether it needs a credible leader. If we measure credibility by outcomes over the past eight decades, continuity itself poses the greater risk. The real question is whether the UN will confront the structural power imbalances that have long undermined its authority. Appointing a feminist woman as secretary–general would take a necessary step in that reckoning.
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