United Nations Struggles for Relevance as Public Trust Declines Worldwide

The survey, commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation and conducted in 34 countries from August 8 to September 10, offers a grim picture of confidence in multilateral institutions at a time when the United States and other advanced economies are slashing development aid and funding for global projects.

Despite cuts in development spending and rising nationalist rhetoric around the world, 75% of those surveyed said they support global cooperation if it is proven to effectively solve problems, but just 42% see it being in their personal interest.

Nine out of 10 of those surveyed said global cooperation is important to address jobs and employment, 92% wanted cooperation on trade and economic development, 93% on food and water security and 91% on global health.

However, trust in global institutions lags far behind. Only 58% of those surveyed had trust in the United Nations, which is gearing up for next week’s General Assembly meetings, 60% in the World Health Organization and 44% in the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

To help bridge the gap, Rockefeller said it was launching a $50 million initiative – “The Shared Future” – that will focus on reviving international cooperation, restructuring global health and re-imagining humanitarian food systems.

Wally Adeyemo, former deputy treasury secretary under President Joe Biden, said he has been tapped to lead the push to develop new forms of international cooperation fit for the 21st century. Others will lead the health and food initiatives.

“People are hungering for global cooperation to be done differently, for humanitarian assistance to be done differently,” Adeyemo told Reuters. “Traditional recipients of international aid would like to be in a place where they go from being aid recipients to being trade recipients.”

He said the next step would be a convening of experts on the sidelines of next week’s UN meetings and outreach to interested parties around the U.S. and the world.

Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah said the poll results showed a hunger for smarter and more creative solutions to replace outdated international institutions and systems.

“The institutions that worked to advance human progress in the 20th century are struggling to meet the challenges of the 21st,” Shah said. “This moment of transformation is an opportunity to build on what’s working, forge new partnerships and leverage new technologies to deliver results for the world’s most vulnerable people.”