In the prestigious ECOSOC Chamber of the United Nations, a high-level meeting on the future of multilateralism and of the United Nations was held on 11 December, organized by the 16 countries celebrating the seventieth anniversary of their admission to the Organization this year: Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Finland, Jordan, Ireland, Italy, Laos, Libya, Nepal, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sri Lanka, and Hungary.
The event, moderated by Reuters journalist Michelle Nichols, featured international policy analysts and UN experts Ambassador Martin Kimani (Africa Center), Minh-Thu Pham (Carnegie Endowment), and Richard Gowan (International Crisis Group). They engaged in an interactive discussion with ambassadors and the large audience in attendance, which included representatives of civil society, and university and high-school students.
Ambassador Massari, among the driving forces behind the initiative, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting and summarized the key takeaway from the rich discussion as follows: “We are 16 diverse countries that joined the UN as the result of a compromise among major powers in the post-war bipolar balance, but we have demonstrated a shared and still very relevant vision regarding the enduring importance of the United Nations, the Charter, and multilateralism in ensuring peace and the future of international cooperation.”
From the different geographical perspectives of the speakers and the individual countries, the discussion addressed issues related to prospects for reforming the multilateral system—also in light of the “UN80 Initiative,” launched by Secretary-General Guterres to streamline structures and costs—the impact of Artificial Intelligence and digital transformation on the global development agenda, and the role of younger generations in renewing multilateral action.
During the event, a commemorative stamp marking the 70th anniversary—printed and issued by the United Nations—was presented, along with a digital exhibition of historical images depicting the work of the 16 countries at the UN. The exhibition featured photos from the ANSA (Italy’s leading news agency) archive illustrating some of the most significant moments of our seventy years within the United Nations.
