By Nelson Muffuh
As the United Nations marks its 80th anniversary throughout 2025 and especially on 24th October (UN Day), member states, UN entities, and global citizens are called upon not only to celebrate and collaborate but also to reflect and renew the foundations of international cooperation, and to ensure that it can deliver better for people and planet. For South Africa, this milestone resonates deeply. The country’s democratic rebirth in 1994 was not only a national triumph but a global affirmation of the UN Charter’s promise: that peace, dignity, shared prosperity, and human rights are universal entitlements.
Serving within the UN system globally and recently in South Africa has offered me a unique vantage point to witness how multilateral cooperation has helped shape the country’s democratic and development trajectory. From supporting the first democratic elections to advancing inclusive growth, education, health systems, social cohesion, gender equality, disaster management, ethical state building, decent work and social protection, the UN has been a consistent partner—not in the spotlight, but in the scaffolding.
South Africa’s transformation has not been linear. The structural triple challenges of poverty, inequality, and unemployment remain stubborn and compounded by crime, state capture as well as service delivery and logistical inadequacies. Yet the progress is undeniable: electricity access has expanded from 36% to nearly universal coverage; social grants now reach over 28 million people; and life expectancy has rebounded after the HIV/AIDS crisis with the world’s largest HIV treatment programme. These are not just statistics—they are stories of resilience, policy innovation, and partnership.
Importantly, South Africa is not merely a beneficiary of multilateralism—it is a champion of it. From its principled stance on global conflicts to its leadership in the G20, South Africa has consistently advocated for a more just, inclusive, and representative global order. Its calls for UN Security Council reform and recalibration of the international financial architecture are not just about equity—they are about legitimacy. As President Ramaphosa recently noted at UNGA80, the current architecture undermines the spirit of cooperation and weakens the UN’s credibility.
The Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) is a case in point. South Africa is pioneering a model of climate action that is not only green, but just—centred on communities, jobs, and equity. The UN has supported this effort through policy reform, stakeholder engagement, and securing catalytic financing. It is a blueprint for how multilateralism can be both principled and practical.
Yet, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres constantly reminds us, multilateralism as conceived at the end of the Second World War is under strain and outdated—too slow, too fragmented, too exclusive. The UN must evolve, not just to survive, but to lead as the world grapples with demographic, climatic, economic, and technological shifts. And as UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed affirms, Unstoppable Africa, with its demographic dynamism and strategic resources, must be at the centre of this renewal—not on the margins.
South Africa’s journey—from democracy to development, and now toward values-based global stewardship—serves as an opportunity for the UN’s own relevance and transformation. That transformation was not inevitable; it was built on courage, cooperation, and a commitment to justice. As the UN looks to its next chapter, it must stay true to its foundational values as contained in its Charter whilst adapting its ways of decision-making and collaboration to reflect the realities of today, guided by the 2030 Agenda and the imperatives of the future as contained in the Pact for the Future.
As I reflect on South Africa’s journey and my own experiences within the United Nations, I am acutely aware that the stakes for humanity have never been higher. We are living through an era of profound transformation—where climate change, conflict, digital and technological disruption, demographic shifts, and deepening inequality intersect with accelerating nature loss, resource scarcity, rapid urbanisation, and a growing crisis of trust in our institutions. I see, every day, how fragmentation—whether geopolitical, social, or institutional—threatens our collective future at precisely the moment when unity and solidarity are most needed. These interconnected megatrends are not abstract—they shape the lives and aspirations of people across South Africa and the world. Meeting these challenges demands more than just collective solutions; it calls for a renewal of multilateralism that is inclusive, adaptive, and anchored in human rights and planetary stewardship. The United Nations remains, in my view, humanity’s best hope—but only if we listen, reform, collaborate, and lead with both courage and humility. Our shared future depends on it.
About the Author: Nelson Muffuh is the United Nations Resident Coordinator in South Africa. He has served in various capacities across the UN system, supporting development, peacebuilding, rights, and multilateral cooperation.
Nelson Muffuh is the UN Resident Coordinator in South Africa
