Victoria Brusa, M.A. Candidate in Democracy and Governance, Georgetown University

Last month marked the 80th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The organization reaches this milestone amidst a complex global environment that challenges its ability to address international crises and remain relevant. On the security front, the war on Ukraine continues without prospects for peace agreements, while Russian incursions into NATO territory have heightened tensions with Europe. In terms of global governance, multilateral institutions appear powerless to resolve these crises, and U.S. leadership shows clear signs of erosion. At the same time, structural and political trends, such as the rise of nationalism and far-right governments, undermine international stability.

This precarious scenario was echoed in the opening speech of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who warned that the organization’s ability to fulfill its mission is being “cut” and its principles are “under siege.” He described an “age of reckless disruption and relentless human suffering,” stressing that the “pillars of peace and progress are buckling under the weight of impunity, inequality, and indifference.” Guterres further cautioned that although the world is becoming increasingly multipolar—a trend that could, in principle, reflect greater diversity—multipolarity without effective multilateral institutions risks “chaos,” as history demonstrated before World War I. International cooperation, he argued, is not naïveté but “hard-headed pragmatism.”

As highlighted by the 2025 V-Dem Report, the world also faces a democratic recession and a new wave of autocratization. For the eighteenth consecutive year, more countries experienced backsliding than democratization. Electoral autocracies are now the most common regime type. Liberal democracies are the least common, with only 29 countries representing less than 12% of the world’s population. Overall, 72% of people live under autocracies—the highest share since 1978—and nearly 40% in states undergoing autocratization.

This trend spans all regions. In Europe, Hungary and Georgia show how fragile checks can be hollowed out from within. In Asia, India and Indonesia face pressure on civil liberties and judicial independence, while Myanmar and the Philippines exemplify entrenched authoritarian practices. In Latin America, Mexico and Argentina reflect how polarization erodes democratic quality. Since the 2024 election and Donald Trump’s second term, the United States has joined this category. Israel lost its classification as a “liberal democracy” in 2023. Consolidated autocracies—Russia, China, Belarus—reinforce this global authoritarian shift.

Democratic values are declining in more countries than improving. Media censorship is the primary tool of autocratizing leaders, followed by undermining elections and civil society. Polarization and disinformation intensify these trends. The 2025 V-Dem Report shows that half of autocratizing governments spread misinformation at home and abroad to shape public opinion. These dynamics were evident in 2024 elections worldwide, where political violence, media attacks, and polarization were the democratic components that suffered the most.

What the Main Speeches at UNGA Tell Us About the Future of Multilateralism

Taken together, these trends underscore the severity of the current democratic recession and provide essential context for interpreting the speeches delivered at the UNGA. They make it possible to discern which models of global governance world leaders seek to legitimize or contest: on one hand, an international liberal order grounded in democratic norms, multilateralism, and the rule of law; on another, the erosion of that same international liberal order.

In his first address after beginning his second term, U.S. President Donald Trump harshly criticized the United Nations, describing it as ineffective and counterproductive. He accused the UN of failing to resolve major crises—such as what he called the “illegal immigration crisis”—and of creating many of them. He labeled its climate predictions a “scam” and insisted that each sovereign nation must have the right to control its borders. Trump portrayed the UN as a failed institution that wastes money, fails to maintain peace, and promotes policies he considers destructive to sovereignty and prosperity.

Argentine President Javier Milei echoed Trump, asserting that the UN has strayed from its original purpose. He argued that cooperation among nation-states has been replaced by a supranational model of governance led by bureaucrats imposing a way of life on citizens. Aligning with Trump, he claimed both leaders seek to reverse a dynamic leading their countries “toward disaster.” He also denounced the “2030 Agenda,” announcing Argentina’s withdrawal.

Russia contended that today’s persistent violations of UN principles stem from the West’s division of the world into democracy versus autocracy and its “disregard for the sovereign equality of states.” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pointed to NATO’s bombing of Yugoslavia, the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and the intervention in Libya as examples of the West’s “illegal uses of force” and “gross interference in the internal affairs of other nations.”

Yet, support for multilateralism remains. French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged frustration with the UN’s failures but warned that the real danger is allowing “the law of the strongest” to prevail over cooperation and the common good. He stressed that the UN reflects its members, with inefficacy stemming from blockages by powerful states. Macron urged leaders to act collectively to rebuild multilateralism, warning against fragmentation and loss of control over the future. Similarly, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva argued that multilateralism is at a crossroads and drew a clear parallel with the weakening of democracy worldwide.

In summary, the future of multilateralism is at stake. As Argentine scholar Diana Tussie argues, today’s crisis goes beyond the familiar paralysis of the General Assembly or recurring Security Council vetoes. What is new is a direct assault on multilateralism itself, with Trump and other autocratic leaders playing a central role. Scholars highlight that far-right populists tend to promote a vision of the world that undermines the liberal international order—based on the rule of law and multilateral institutions—in favor of power-based strategies and the instrumentalization of sovereignty (See: de Orellana, P., & Michelsen, N., 2019; Abrahamsen, R at al, 2020; Holm, M., & Michelsen, N, 2021; Anievas, A., & Saull, R, 2022; Abrahamsen, R., & Williams, M. C, 2023; Campos, R. D. E. 2023). The speeches at the UNGA strongly suggest movement in that direction. The only hope, as Tussie explains, is a “U-turn” in this trajectory: that in a few years, when the global goods provided by multilateralism are in short supply, governments will remember that cooperation and dialogue are what can make the world more peaceful, prosperous, and secure

Victoria Brusa is a political communication and public affairs specialist from Argentina, currently pursuing a Master’s in Democracy and Governance at Georgetown University as a 2025 Fulbright and PEO Scholar.  

Before joining the program, she served as Press Director for Argentina’s Chief of Staff and the Ministry of the Interior, leading media strategy and communications at the highest levels of government. Her previous experience includes working as a press advisor in Argentina’s National Congress and on the presidential campaign of La Libertad Avanza. She also worked in the private sector as a senior account analyst at a leading PR agency, advising clients in the energy, finance, and consumer goods industries, as well as academic and international institutions. 

Victoria holds undergraduate degrees in International Relations and Social Communication, and a Master’s in International Relations from FLACSO Argentina. Her research interests include democratic institutions, political communication, polarization and transnational right-wing movements in Latin America.

Nord, Marina, David Altman, Fabio Angiolillo, Tiago Fernandes, Ana Good God, and Staffan I. Lindberg. Democracy Report 2025: 25 Years of Autocratization—Democracy Trumped? Gothenburg: V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025.

Tussie, Diana. “La reconfiguración global: Su capítulo en vivo para América Latina.” In América Latina frente a la reconfiguración global, edited by Josette Altmann Borbón, 107–120. San José, Costa Rica: FLACSO Secretaría General, 2019