Crisis and Opportunity at the UN By Andrew Firmin Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

Crisis and Opportunity at the UN By Andrew Firmin https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/10/crisis-and-opportunity-at-the-un/ LONDON, Oct 14 2026 (IPS) - At this year’s highest-profile UN event, Donald Trump publicly mused over his ‘big decision’ about whether to ‘annihilate’ Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as dozens of delegates walked out, branded those who condemn genocide in Gaza ‘moral cowards’. The UN was established in the devastating aftermath of the Second World War with the explicit aim to ‘save succeeding generations from the scourge of war’. Its charter commits all UN members to settling disputes peacefully. Yet at the UN General Assembly’s annual high-level session, held in September, several national leaders used a podium meant for peace and international cooperation to justify and threaten violence. Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -