The future of the UN, with Rebeca Grynspan

The Secretary-General was glad that we have avoided a full-scale trade war, but recognised that uncertainty caused by US tariffs has caused uncertainty. She explained that economic projections for 2026 were not as optimistic as 2025 and stressed the need for rules-based trading and stability, particularly in the case of more vulnerable economies. Despite the instability of recent months, the Secretary-General was glad that global poverty continues to decline despite rising inequality. To combat inequality in Latin America, she argued, the UN and local governments need to design targeted policies.

Grynspan explained that geoeconomics remains multipolar: the US does not entirely dictate global trade, and 72% of trade still takes place under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. However, she acknowledged that regionalism and grouping is back, and plurilateralism is the way forward; regional agreements need to be made to facilitate trade. She reinforced the central role of the US dollar in the global economy despite global reserves declining. Unless it suffers a serious crisis of trust, the US dollar will remain preeminent.

Finally, the Secretary-General turned to the reform of the UN. In 2025, the UN80 campaign has aimed to increase the efficiency of the UN by cutting staff and funding. She stressed that further reform in the UN is needed: the security council, for example, contains no permanent representatives from Latin America or Africa. Furthermore, she insisted that the UN must engage more with the private sector. Grynspan will be running to be the next Secretary-General of the UN. She highlighted the fact that Latin America has not produced a recent secretary-general, nor has it been a woman. Canning House will be watching the campaign with interest!