UAE Expert Calls For Reform Amid Global Governance Challenges

The world's system of governance is failing to keep pace with rapid technological change, intensifying geopolitical rivalry and shared global crises, Nickolay Mladenov, Director-General of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, has cautioned.

Speaking at Abu Dhabi's Hili Forum, Mladenov told Khaleej Times that institutions built in the aftermath of the Second World War - once designed to prevent conflict and regulate trade - no longer reflect the realities of the modern era.“The world's operating system does not reflect the realities of today,” he said, warning that outdated frameworks are leaving nations vulnerable to stagnation.

Mladenov painted a picture of a fractured global landscape.“Great powers jostle, middle powers assert, and non-state actors disrupt,” he said.“Globalisation is fractured; supply chains are being weaponised, critical minerals securitised. Trade, sadly, no longer flows in neutral waters - it's channelled through the lenses of rivalry and resilience.”

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The challenge, he argued, is not only the risk of conflict but also global paralysis.“The temptation to cling to old frameworks in the hope that they will hold is strong. But reset requires courage. It requires us to ask uncomfortable questions and to propose audacious answers.”

Mladenov pointed to the United Nations Security Council as a prime example of institutional gridlock.“Many of the countries that are today key to global security were not even present at the table when it was created. The UN as a mediator has been undermined significantly over the last years, and these issues need to be rethought.”

He added that the World Trade Organisation, too, is struggling to remain relevant.“If you read its charter and its principles, and then look at the realities of today, you see a very, very different environment,” he said.

According to Mladenov, the inability of global forums to act decisively on urgent issues - from climate change to pandemics - has further exposed the risks of inaction. Referring to last year's COP28 in Dubai, he noted how hard it remains to secure consensus on climate.“How can you resolve the problems of climate change if we don't all work together? How do you deal with global health challenges if you don't have a global conversation - and if that conversation is constantly being challenged?”

While global consensus on the need for reform is crucial, Mladenov said every nation must also chart its own path. For the UAE, that means focusing on diplomacy, mediation, trade and investment opportunities, and conflict resolution while upholding international principles.

“While walls rise around the globe, the UAE stands firm in its belief in building bridges,” he said.“The security, prosperity and future of the UAE, and indeed of the whole region, are intricately linked to the wider world.”

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