IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi Says UN Slowly Dying, Losing Relevance

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi has stated that the United Nations is increasingly losing its relevance and is slowly dying. Grossi, who is also a candidate for the next UN Secretary-General, expressed his frustration over the organisation’s poor results in various fields, particularly social issues and the fight against climate change. “I don’t see the UN in danger of dying in the near future… I see it more as a kind of slow death. The UN has been moving towards irrelevance… without making a meaningful contribution to the recent crises and wars between states,” he told the Financial Times. Members of the UN Security Council are currently conducting preliminary voting to select a candidate for Secretary-General to recommend to the General Assembly. The second and final term of current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ends on 31 December 2026. The first round of closed voting for the candidates was completed at the end of July. There are seven candidates running for the position, including Michelle Bachelet of Chile, Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces of Ecuador, Rafael Mariano Grossi of Argentina, Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis of Costa Rica, Olara Otunnu of Uganda, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana, and Macky Sall of Senegal.