Discourse and Power: The Permanent-5’s Role in Shaping Global Governance Amid a Polycrisis

The contemporary global order is increasingly defined by a polycrisis—interconnected challenges such as climate change, economic insecurity, and great power conflicts. The actions and rhetoric of the United Nations (UN) Security Council Permanent-5 (P5) members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – are critical in shaping the global response to these multifaceted crises. This study examines how the P5 articulate their roles, responsibilities, and strategic interests in managing the polycrisis within the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) speeches. Using a mixed-methods approach, I conduct a longitudinal discourse analysis of UNGA addresses from 2009 to 2023, employing natural language processing to uncover recurring themes, framing strategies, and interlinkages between crises. The research highlights the evolving rhetoric of the P5, revealing how they prioritize specific challenges, frame interconnected crises, and navigate geopolitical rivalries within a multilateral setting. It also explores the ways in which P5 members leverage the UNGA platform to assert leadership, reinforce or contest global norms, and manage their reputations amid overlapping global challenges. This study underscores the importance of scrutinizing the P5’s actions and narratives, given their outsized influence on global governance and the UN’s ability to address systemic crises. By shedding light on their discourse and strategies, the findings contribute to understanding the power dynamics that underpin the UN system and offer insights into the prospects for effective multilateralism in an era of heightened complexity.