US retreat from UN may create ‘tremendous opportunity’ for nations like China

After a week-long gathering of leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York, its president struck a positive tone on Monday.

Annalena Baerbock, the former German foreign minister, said there was a collective will to “choose the right path at the crossroads”.

“If high-level week is any indication, this house is fulfilling that purpose – the United Nations is still relevant,” she said.

But 23 years after Kofi Annan spoke of the UN’s “fork in the road”, when he was secretary general, the organisation remains adrift.

Concerns over its future were amplified last week after US President Donald Trump claimed the UN was ineffective and questioned its existence.

As the UN’s main architect, biggest single financial contributor and host nation, the United States has increasingly turned its back on the multilateral system it helped build.