Espen Barth Eide warns of UN triple crisis at General Assembly

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide addressed the United Nations General Assembly, warning that the world is entering a dangerous transitional period characterized by a decline in respect for international rules. Eide described the UN as facing a ‘triple crisis’: a normative, economic, and institutional crisis.

He argued that the erosion of international law leads to increased instability, noting that the number of ongoing wars and interstate conflicts is at its highest since the UN's inception. Eide emphasized that international law must be applied universally rather than selectively, specifically calling for accountability regarding violations in both the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Eide also highlighted the global interconnectedness of regional conflicts, citing the situation in the Strait of Hormuz as an example of how local instability can disrupt global supply chains and energy prices, affecting economies from Oslo to Mumbai. He concluded that reform is necessary to ensure the UN remains effective in a changing global landscape.