Story perspectives

Rubio Tells UN System Has “Broken” and Unfulfilled Potential

By Drooid · Sep 24, 2026, 4:07 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the United Nations (UN) General Assembly the international system is broken.
He made the remarks on September 23, 2026 in New York.
UN General Assembly members unanimously agreed the system has exceeded its mandate.
Rubio said the United Nations has tremendous potential but is not living up to it.
He added the United States will act in its national interest, not the international order.

History

Historical Context

After the Cold War, the 1995 World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen gathered about 170 leaders and adopted the Copenhagen Declaration, calling for UN reform. The 2000 Millennium Summit and the 2005 World Summit, which introduced the Responsibility to Protect, kept reform debates alive. On 23 September 2026, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared the UN system broken, echoing those earlier demands.

1 of 2

Story summary

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the United Nations (UN) General Assembly the international system is broken.
He made the remarks on September 23, 2026 in New York.
UN General Assembly members unanimously agreed the system has exceeded its mandate.
Rubio said the United Nations has tremendous potential but is not living up to it.
He added the United States will act in its national interest, not the international order.

1 / 2