Rafael Grossi outlines UN leadership vision and challenges at CFR candidate event
Updated
Updated · Council on Foreign Relations · Apr 24
Rafael Grossi outlines UN leadership vision and challenges at CFR candidate event
9 articles · Updated · Council on Foreign Relations · Apr 24
Grossi, one of four UN Secretary-General nominees and current IAEA chief, spoke at the Council on Foreign Relations on April 23, highlighting his crisis management experience in Ukraine and nuclear safety negotiations.
He emphasized the need for a proactive, pragmatic secretary-general who engages the Security Council and restores trust amid conflicts in Iran, Ukraine, and declining development aid. Grossi stressed authority over power and direct dialogue with major powers.
Grossi argued that revitalizing the UN requires effective crisis management and consensus-building, noting the organization's funding crisis and the erosion of faith among member states and the public in its core mission.
Will the upcoming NPT Review Conference under Grossi’s influence achieve greater consensus on nonproliferation amid rising geopolitical tensions?
Will Rafael Grossi’s crisis management style be enough to overcome deep divisions among the Security Council’s permanent members?
How will Grossi address the mounting humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, especially for women and children, under ongoing access constraints?
Can the UN recover from imminent financial collapse and staff cuts, or is a fundamental restructuring now inevitable?
Does the UN’s reliance on major powers for funding undermine its neutrality and ability to champion human rights?
Could the new World Bank–IAEA partnership on nuclear energy shift energy development priorities in emerging markets?
Rebuilding Trust and Reforming the UN: Rafael Grossi’s Pragmatic Blueprint for 2026
Overview
Amid growing global polarization and declining trust in multilateral institutions, Rafael Grossi unveiled a pragmatic vision for the UN's future, emphasizing reforms, Security Council engagement, impartiality, and stronger partnerships. His extensive crisis experience, highlighted by 12 visits to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and efforts to ensure nuclear safety, underpins his leadership approach. Supported by Argentina's government and key institutions, partly due to his success in increasing gender parity at the IAEA, Grossi faces opposition from Iran and others over perceived bias. His campaign builds on direct engagement and operational results to restore UN credibility and effectiveness in a fractured world.