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The UN is running out of cash. Can it reform before it's too late?
As the United Nations turns 80, it’s showing its age. Born from the ashes of World War II with a mission to prevent future conflict, the UN now faces a world aflame: war in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan; humanitarian disasters in Haiti, Yemen, and the DRC; over 120 million people displaced. But even as the crises pile up, the UN is running out of money—and fast.
Ian Bremmer breaks down the UN’s looming financial crisis. The world body is funded entirely by its member states, and lately, too many of them are falling short. The US—its largest donor—has slashed contributions under President Trump. China, which now accounts for 20% of the budget, is increasingly unpredictable with its payments. And over 40 countries collectively owe more than $750 million in dues. The UN can’t borrow. It can’t run a deficit. And its most critical aid programs are at risk.
Now, Secretary-General António Guterres is cutting costs and restructuring the organization in an effort to stay afloat. His new initiative—UN80—proposes major changes: staff cuts, agency consolidation, and moving operations out of expensive hubs like New York and Geneva.
But with member states pulling back and global trust in international institutions eroding, the question isn’t just how to keep the lights on. It’s whether the UN can still do the job it was created to do.
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔). GZERO World with Ian Bremmer airs on US public television weekly - check local listings.
UN SG Guterres on a world in chaos and a UN in crisis
Wars are raging, tensions are rising, and trust in global institutions is collapsing. From Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan, the world is on fire—and the one institution meant to keep the peace is facing a historic financial crisis.
On the GZERO World Podcast, Ian Bremmer speaks with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres about the UN’s role in an era of war, division, and dwindling support. With the US cutting funding and other major powers following suit, the UN is preparing to slash its budget by 15%—even as demand for peacekeeping and aid hits record highs.
“What’s happening today in Gaza is morally, politically, and legally intolerable” Guterres tells Bremmer. With funding for life-saving aid programs evaporating, the Western-led global order that has kept the world on solid ground since WWII risks failing just when it is needed most.
Subscribe to the GZERO World Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're publishedThe world is on fire and the UN is running out of money
Ian Bremmer sits down with UN Secretary-General António Guterres ahead of the 80th UN General Assembly to talk about war, diplomacy, and the existential pressure on global governance.
Guterres doesn’t mince words: “What’s happening today in Gaza is morally, politically, and legally intolerable.” With conflicts raging from Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan, and funding for life-saving aid programs evaporating, the Secretary-General says the international system is failing when it’s needed most.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Guterres addresses the West’s retreat from multilateralism, the need to reform outdated global institutions, and why mid-sized powers are increasingly driving conflict—often with total impunity. He also discusses the UN’s dramatic internal cost-cutting push (an initiative he dubbed “UN80”) and why, despite a 15% budget reduction, he believes the organization can still become more effective.
“We are more capable,” Guterres says. “When you make the system more slim and more unified, you gain in efficiency."
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations(check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube.Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔). GZERO World with Ian Bremmer airs on US public television weekly - check local listings.
10 memorable quotes on GZERO World with Ian Bremmer in 2024
On our award-winning weekly global affairs show, GZERO World, Ian Bremmer explains the key global stories of the moment and sits down for in-depth conversations with the newsmakers and thought leaders shaping our world. In no particular order, here’s a look back at the 10 most quotable moments from this year’s episodes.
Adam Grant on how AI is changing the world of work

Aired on February 2, 2024
The AI revolution is coming… fast. But what does that mean for your job? Watch Ian Bremmer’s conversation with organizational psychologist Adam Grant.Yuval Noah Harari explains why the world isn't fair (but could be)

Aired on March 8, 2024
In a conversation filmed live at the historic 92nd Street Y in NYC, Yuval Noah Harari delves into the foundational role of storytelling in human civilization, the existential challenges posed by artificial intelligence, the geopolitical implications of the Ukraine war, and the most pressing questions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Watch the full episode.Thomas L. Friedman on How the Israel-Gaza war could end - if Netanyahu wants it to

Aired on April 5, 2024
Pulitzer-prize-winning author and New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman games out a possible resolution to the war in Gaza and explains why both Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Hamas are obstacles to peace. Watch the full episode.
Emily Bazelon on the major Supreme Court decisions of June 2024

Aired on May 3, 2024
Yale legal scholar and New York Times Magazine staff writer Emily Bazelon unpacks some of the biggest cases that were on the docket this year and how the rulings will impact Americans. Watch the full episode.
Justice & peace in Gaza: The UN Palestinian ambassador's perspective with Riyad Mansour

Aired on July 5, 2024
Ian Bremmer sits down with Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour for a candid interview about his role in the UN, the war in Gaza, and how it might end. Watch the full episode.
An exclusive interview with Argentina's radical new president, Javier Milei

Aired on August 2, 2024
Argentine President Javier Milei defends his radical approach to saving Argentina’s struggling economy, his commitment to aligning with liberal democracies, and his pragmatic stance on international trade and alliances. Watch the full interview.
Why António Guterres believes the UN should lead on AI

Aired on September 20, 2024
In an exclusive interview for GZERO World, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres sat with Ian Bremmer on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to discuss his vision for the future of the UN during his last term in office. Watch the full interview.
Iran's next move: Interview with VP Javad Zarif

Aired on October 4, 2024
Ian Bremmer sits down with Iran's new Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif just days before the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to discuss the escalating conflict in the Middle East and where Iran stands. Watch the full episode.
Roberta Metsola on whether Europe can become a global superpower

Aired on October 20, 2024
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola discusses Europe’s future amid an ongoing migrant crisis, the war in Ukraine, and an economic slowdown. Can the bloc’s 27 member states stay united? Watch the full episode.
Oren Cass on the case for Trump's tariffs

Aired on December 6, 2024
Trump has vowed to raise tariffs, slash business regulation, and deport millions of undocumented immigrants, policies he says will put Americans first. Oren Cass outlines what that will mean practically for workers and consumers. Watch the full episode.
Don’t miss an episode in 2025!
GZERO World airs nationwide on US public television (check local listings), and new digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube.
Guterres: Now is the time for UN Security Council reform
For years, meaningful reform of the UN Security Council was considered an impossible pipe dream that could never happen. But with so many ongoing global crises, now is the time to reform institutions to meet the political and economic realities of today's world. On GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, UN Secretary-General António Guterres says he’s most concerned with a lack of accountability, growing impunity, and countries fragmenting further into coalitions and blocs, which is at odds with everything the UN stands for. The world has changed dramatically since the UN was formed in 1945, and it's time to reform outdated, unfair institutions, like the Security Council, that concentrate power in the hands of a few wealthy countries and don't reflect current reality. Guterres says giving an African country a permanent seat on the Council “must be done,” but admits extending veto power to an African member will be a major challenge.
“The African situation, it is in historic injustice,” Guterres explains, “For the first time, the five permanent members recognize that they are ready to accept at least an African permanent member in the Security Council.”
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).
- Podcast: UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Russia, human rights, & the Security Council presidency ›
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Why António Guterres believes the UN should lead on AI: Exclusive interview
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned at last year’s General Assembly, “It’s reform or rupture.” But reforming the UN to meet the economic and political realities of today’s world, one dividing it further into coalitions and blocs, is no easy task. In an exclusive interview for GZERO World, Guterres sat with Ian Bremmer on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to discuss his vision for the future of the UN during his last term in office. Between ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the climate crisis threatening the lives of millions, a broken Security Council, and the growing power (and existential risk) of AI, there’s a lot to discuss. Can the UN adapt for the future? Can it show the world multilateralism still has a place amid all the fragmentation? Guterres believes change is always possible as long as there is will and determination.
“The United Nations has one important characteristic: Its legitimacy,” Guterres says, “It's a platform where everybody can be together.”
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).
- Can the UN get the world to agree on AI safety? ›
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres on AI, Security Council reform, and global conflicts
Listen: UN Secretary-General António Guterres joins Ian Bremmer on the GZERO World Podcast for an exclusive conversation from the sidelines of the General Assembly at a critical moment for the world and the UN itself. Amid so many ongoing crises, is meaningful reform at the world’s largest multilateral institution possible? Between ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the climate crisis threatening the lives of millions, and a broken Security Council, there’s a lot to discuss. But there are some reasons for optimism. This year could bring the UN into a new era by addressing one of the biggest challenges facing our society: artificial intelligence and the growing digital divide. This year, the UN will hold its first-ever Summit of the Future, where members will vote on a Global Digital Compact, agreeing to shared principles for AI and digital governance. In a wide-ranging conversation, Guterres lays out his vision for the future of the UN and why he believes now is the time to reform our institutions to meet today’s political and economic realities.
Subscribe to the GZERO World Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published.
- Can the UN get the world to agree on AI safety? ›
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- At the Paris Peace Forum, war and conflicts were topics du jour - GZERO Media ›
Ian Explains: Why is the UN's Summit of the Future so important?
Will the United Nations be able to adapt to address problems of the modern era, like artificial intelligence and the growing digital divide? On Ian Explains, Ian Bremmer looks at the challenges of multilateralism in an increasingly fragmented world.
In the face of crises like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war in Gaza, and a rapidly warming planet, the UN’s goals of peace and security feel like a failure. But this year’s Summit of the Future during the General Assembly could be a turning point for the 78-year-old institution. UN members will vote on a Global Digital Compact to regulate AI, fight misinformation, and connect the whole world to the internet. Bremmer is one of 39 experts on the UN’s High-Level Advisory Body who've been studying the issue of global AI governance for the past year to better understand what that Compact should include. This week, the group released a report called “Governing AI for Humanity” with recommendations for creating a global regulatory framework for AI that is safe, inclusive, and equitable. Instead of a patchwork of regulation that’s happened so far, which has been concentrated in wealthy countries, can the UN lead the global AI conversation?
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don''t miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).




