UN’s Amina Mohammed on the “rebirthing" of global cooperation

At the 2026 World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed says that diplomacy remains the UN’s primary tool for mitigating conflict as tensions escalate in Iran and across the Middle East.

“The leverage we have is to give that platform and to put a light and to keep talking,” she says, underscoring that sustained dialogue is essential to keeping channels open and working toward a ceasefire. Mohammed also highlights the widening global ripple effects of the war in Iran, from energy shocks to rising food insecurity that could push millions further into crisis. “People are suffering, and we need to save lives,” she notes, as the UN mobilizes across humanitarian, political, and economic tracks.

On the shifting global order, she argues that multilateralism is not ending but “rebirthing,” calling for a more equal and functional international system.

This conversation is presented by GZERO Media in partnership with Microsoft. The Global Stage series convenes global leaders for critical conversations on the geopolitical forces reshaping our world.