The United Nations turns 81 today with its Secretary-General António Guterres calling for greater international cooperation at a time when the organisation itself is struggling with financial pressures and divisions among the countries that shape its decisions.

In his United Nations Day message, Guterres warned that the challenges facing the world were growing increasingly complex.

“Our world is shaken by conflict. Battered by the climate crisis. Scarred by rising inequalities. And transformed by technologies speeding faster than our ability to govern them,” he said.

His appeal comes in the final months of his leadership, with his second term ending on December 31 and the search for his successor still unsettled.

Guyana’s ambassador to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, is among the candidates seeking to lead the organisation from January 2027. The United Arab Emirates added another contender on October 21, nominating diplomat Lana Zaki Nusseibeh.

The contest reflects the divisions confronting the wider organisation. Reuters reported that an informal Security Council ballot left all candidates facing opposition from at least two of its five permanent members, whose veto powers give them decisive influence over the selection.

Whoever takes over will face immediate questions about how to finance the organisation’s work and strengthen its ability to respond to international crises.

The United Nations’ regular budget for 2026 is US$3.45 billion but collecting contributions on time remains a challenge. Officials reported this month that low cash balances and uncertainty over payments forced the organisation to borrow from reserves earlier in the year, even as collections exceeded forecasts.

Guterres has also pursued changes through his UN80 initiative, aimed at improving efficiency and coordination across the United Nations system.

Those pressures come as the organisation continues to deliver humanitarian assistance, support diplomatic negotiations and coordinate responses to challenges ranging from public health to climate change.

Founded after the Second World War, the United Nations was intended to give countries a forum to resolve disputes peacefully and work together on shared problems.

Eighty-one years later, Guterres is urging its members to recommit to that purpose, choosing dialogue over division and cooperation over confrontation.