95bFM Does the UN need to change with the 21st century?
7 October, 2025
Interview by Alex Fox, adapted by Zanoor Penny
The University of Auckland’s Justin Sobion says that the entire mission of the three main pillars of the United Nations needs to change to address current issues such as the climate crisis and global conflicts.
At the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) the week before last, many world leaders expressed their grievances with the structure and governance of the United Nations (UN) itself.
The UN was created in 1945 after the end of World War II as a way to prevent future conflict, maintain global peace, and promote international cooperation.
However, the establishment of the UN has been without its criticisms.
Concerns have been raised regarding the veto power the UN Security Council’s permanent members, known as the P5, have over other member states. The P5 includes the United States, China, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom.
Senior tutor in Law at the University of Auckland, Justin Sobion, told 95bFM’s The Wire that the UN has 20th-century pegs trying to fit into 21st-century holes.
“We want more diverse membership, especially for permanent members, or maybe you scrap the whole permanent membership and you let more countries be engaged. Maybe you have to scrap the veto power as well.”
Sobion believes that the three main pillars of the UN — Peace and Security, Human Rights, and Development — need reform.
He specifically points to the climate crisis and environmental issues not being considered a primary objective by the global intergovernmental organisation.
“In 1945, climate change wasn't seen as a huge threat as it is today. So climate change needs to be there. Some argue that peace and security could amount to [combating] climate change.”
He also expresses concerns regarding the UN Trusteeship Council.
The Council was initially established to oversee the transition of 11 trust territories to independence. This was concluded in 1994, and the Trusteeship Council now exists without a clear purpose.
He says that various proposals have been made to repurpose the Trusteeship Council to address other global issues, with little success.
He says the UN’s response to ongoing wars, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Israel's genocide in Gaza, all stem back to systematic issues within the UN Security Council.
“The Security Council needs more teeth. They are the ones [who] responsible for what's going on. I mean, there are numerous vetoes that have been passed on what's going on in Gaza, what's going on in Ukraine, what's going on even in Myanmar.”
Sobion says another concern that should be addressed within the UN is the role of the Secretary General.
“The Secretary General's hands are really tight.
“What we really need is multilateralism, [which] needs to be more reposed with trust and confidence, because I think we don't have trust and confidence within states themselves.”
Sobion says international morality and multilateralism are key to solving issues within the UN.
“I think when you look at the larger schemes of things, the morality has really gone down. There are broken promises. There are wars.
“We are really at the cusp of something really big, and I think if we could just pivot along and realise that we're working along common goals, we could avoid any major disaster. So I think states just need to really be working with themselves and trusting each other in the multilateral process.”
