The event was part of the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, aiming to highlight the importance of the UN in our past, present, and future, and to reflect on Spain’s role within the organization. At the beginning of his speech, Director General Marcos Gómez outlined the three main areas of his analysis: the significance of the UN’s role in today’s world and the international order; the “shadows” affecting both the international situation as a whole and the organization itself; and finally, a proposal for ideas on how the UN should evolve in line with the world we aspire to build.

The birth of the United Nations was shaped by World War II and the failure of the League of Nations. As stated in the preamble of the San Francisco Charter, the UN was founded with the fundamental goal of “saving future generations from the scourge of war.” Despite challenges, significant achievements have been made in maintaining peace through mechanisms such as the Blue Helmets, UNHCR, and the World Food Programme (WFP). Today, the United Nations leads sustainable development initiatives under the framework of the 2030 Agenda.

Despite these accomplishments, the organization faces increasing scrutiny in a global context that has exposed vulnerabilities. The nature of conflicts has evolved, with asymmetric threats like terrorism taking precedence. Additionally, globalization and its mechanisms have become highly controversial, particularly in the international trade system. At the same time, public trust in institutions—both national and international—has been declining, a trend that intensified after the 2008 financial crisis. “In this context, the UN is perceived by some as an expensive, distant, and ineffective entity,” noted Marcos Gómez.

The United Nations urgently needs reform to adapt to the world we envision. Spain has positioned itself in favor of a multilateralist approach, based on the premise that the challenges we face are primarily transnational and therefore require international cooperation. “We need cooperation among states to address issues like climate change and pandemics. I hope that COVID-19 has served as a lesson to convince skeptics of the necessity of international cooperation,” stated Marcos Gómez.

The President of the Government of Spain, in his speech at the UN General Assembly on September 25, outlined five key areas where multilateralism must focus its efforts: strengthening the global health system; taking climate action and mitigating climate change effects; reinforcing the multilateral system; defending democracy and human rights; and promoting financial multilateralism.

Following the intervention of Marcos Gómez, Director General for the United Nations and Human Rights at the MAEC, the debate moderator opened the floor for questions submitted by participants via YouTube chat, Twitter, or email. Some of the topics raised included the reform of the Security Council, the member states of the Human Rights Council, and UN peacekeeping operations.

Aranzazu Álvarez