For Its 80th Birthday, the U.N. Needs More Than a Reset

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For Its 80th Birthday, the U.N. Needs More Than a Reset

Going back to first principles has until recently spooked many diplomats. October 24, 2025, 12:01 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

A photo illustration shows a candle going out on a birthday cake with the U.N. logo on top of it.

Exactly 80 years ago, on Oct. 24, 1945, the United Nations Charter entered into force. But the U.N. is limping through its birthday in a state of internal crisis. Confrontation and self-interest are on the rise in our dysfunctional family of nations. A global war is a significant risk; nuclear weapons holders are openly threatening their use; climate change is making parts of our world uninhabitable; and unregulated AI risks deepening socioeconomic inequality and threatening our cognit