In 2020, the United Nations will celebrate its 75th anniversary, looking back on a turbulent history. The International Expert Workshop 2019 entitled “The Essential World Organisation: Reinvigorating the UN at 75” aims to gain a clearer picture of the general framework in which the UN operates today and in the near future, as well as to identify new strategies and alliances needed to empower the UN to live up to its Charter.

Lisa Dellmuth will give a keynote speech entitled Public perceptions of the UN over the decades – what to learn from popular legitimacy?

The key points to be addressed include:

1. The two types of legitimacy:

• Normative legitimacy: An institution’s right to rule based on moral standards
• Sociological legitimacy: The degree to which an institution is trusted to use its power appropriately among citizens, state and non-state actors

2. Do we see a decline in UN legitimacy? Not on average across countries from the 1980s to today, but:

• In some countries (Russia, South Africa, US, etc)
• In the context of some issue areas (health, development, education, etc)

These declines should be taken seriously because:

• Legitimacy is a standard for good governance beyond benefits for specific actors
• It is a joint standard that is shared and not based on a single individual’s or a state’s values
• It is a standard for assessing global governance institutions that promotes viable and effective institutions

3. Conclusions for theory and practice of UN legitimacy

• No general decline of UN legitimacy between 1994-2014
• Elites have moderate trust in the UN
• Weak trust in some countries and issue areas
• Uphill battle for positive communication about the UN
• Reforms improving UN qualities will increase UN legitimacy