India, Oct. 1 -- The formal theme of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which opened on September 8, is "Restoring trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers For All". President of the General Assembly Khalilur Rahman stated that he would work with all member-States "to ensure our Organization is fit for the future and worthy of a resounding affirmation".

The invocation of trust is both important and ironic, because confidence in the world body is clearly under strain. Pew's 2026 survey found favourable views of the UN declining significantly in 10 countries, even though a 55% median across 37 countries still viewed the organisation positively. The problem, therefore, is perhaps less a rej...