Pressenza and the Humanist Movement have always recognized the United Nations as a historic step toward the humanization of the world. In November 2025, the UN will mark its 80th anniversary—a milestone that invites us to reflect on its achievements, its limitations, and the urgent transformations it must undergo to meet the demands of our time.
To commemorate this occasion, Pressenza will publish a series of analyses, testimonies, and interviews from around the world. We want to understand how the UN has impacted people’s lives, what it represents today, and how it must evolve to remain relevant. We invite proposals and reflections on how the UN can amplify its power and efficiency in addressing the great challenges of this century.
Founded in 1945 as an organization for peace, the UN was given the noble mandate of preventing war but with limited means to enforce peace. Still, its contribution has been significant: from the adoption of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 1968 to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in 2017. It has coordinated global solidarity in education, health, humanitarian aid, indigenous rights, women’s rights, and—more recently—climate change, clean water, and the protection of endangered species.
And yet, the UN has never been able to fully overcome the control of nation-states, nor the domination of its Security Council, which reduces the rest of the world to a kind of “second-class” membership. This structural limitation has often paralyzed the institution in the face of crises such as Gaza, Palestine, and Ukraine, leading many to ask: Would the world really be better off without the UN?
Despite its flaws, the UN has been a platform where the Global South could make its voice heard, where solidarity has been organized across borders, and where hope has been nurtured for a more cooperative and humane world. Its history is far from perfect, but its absence would be catastrophic.
On this 80th anniversary, we are not only looking back at what has been accomplished, but also forward to what must come. We are gathering testimonies, opinions, and proposals from every corner of the planet under the hashtag #UNat80.
Pressenza, as an international news agency, is committed to amplifying these voices. Every contribution counts in this human symphony calling for peace, dignity, and the humanization of our shared future.
