Frankly Speaking: Does anyone still trust ‘Brand UN’?

RIYADH: The UN’s credibility has been battered by paralysis at the Security Council, the war in Gaza, and accusations of inaction.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, admits the body’s failures have damaged “Brand UN.” While he insists reforms are on the agenda, he stresses that the world organization is not a single monolith.

Appearing on the Arab News current affairs program “Frankly Speaking,” during the UN General Assembly’s High-level Week in New York City, Dujarric acknowledged the perception of dysfunction.

“The credibility of the Security Council has taken a lot of hits recently,” he told “Frankly Speaking” host Katie Jensen.

“We’ve seen a lack of unity on the part of the Security Council, not just on Gaza, but on Ukraine, on Syria when the Assad regime was in power, on Sudan. And that does hurt the UN brand in that sense, you are correct.”