The UN and Current Challenges in Global Governance

Abstract

This panel examines how the UN system responds to contemporary pressures across multiple dimensions of its work. How does violence and insecurity affect the operational capacity of peacekeeping missions, and what are the consequences for their effectiveness in managing conflict? When facing chronic resource constraints and dependence on voluntary contributions, how do UN entities leverage symbolic strategies and public recognition to sustain cooperation from member states? Beyond formal mandates and public commitments, how do power relations among major actors shape the implementation of UN activities on the ground, particularly in domains like peacebuilding where divergent interpretations create space for political contestation? The panel also addresses questions of accountability and visibility in the UN system. Do international organizations face reputational costs when their actions contradict prior commitments, and under what conditions do publics hold them accountable for inaction? How do exogenous shocks—crises, disasters, or major events—reshape media attention and public perceptions of UN entities, and what are the implications for organizational legitimacy? These questions illuminate fundamental tensions in contemporary UN governance: between mandates and capacity, between symbolic influence and material constraints, between normative commitments and political realities. The panel contributes to understanding how the UN system navigates operational challenges, manages its reputation and relationships with member states, and adapts to an environment where effectiveness, legitimacy, and authority are increasingly contested.

Title	Details
Audience Costs for International Organizations: Experimental Evidence on Consistency and Inaction	View Paper Details
Exogenous Shocks and Media Attention in the United Nations System	View Paper Details
Beyond Casualties: How Peacekeeper Targeting Affects Mission Effectiveness and Outcomes	View Paper Details
From Field to Feed: Troop-Contributing Countries in the Spotlight of UN Social Media	View Paper Details
Peacebuilding on the Ground: How Power Shapes UN Operational Practice	View Paper Details