On 17 January 2026, the Attorney General, The Rt Hon Lord Hermer KC, addressed UNA‑UK’s commemoration of the first UN General Assembly’s 80th anniversary in London, welcoming the UN Secretary‑General and the Assembly’s President and setting out the UK’s outlook on UN reform. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/speech-for-un-association-80th-anniversary-of-united-nations-general-assembly-meeting?utm_source=openai))
Policy Wire analysis: The choice of the government’s chief legal adviser to lead the remarks foregrounds law, rights and rules‑based co‑operation rather than a purely diplomatic register. It positions the UK’s multilateral stance firmly around legal authority and institutional effectiveness.
Hermer underlined the UK’s support for international adjudication, stating that Britain demonstrates this by accepting the International Court of Justice’s compulsory jurisdiction-reaffirming the role of law in managing disputes between states. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/speech-for-un-association-80th-anniversary-of-united-nations-general-assembly-meeting?utm_source=openai))
The speech argued that the system is under acute strain, citing rising conflict, persistent extreme poverty, slow progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, and climate impacts, while insisting that interdependence makes co‑operation non‑optional. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/speech-for-un-association-80th-anniversary-of-united-nations-general-assembly-meeting?utm_source=openai))
Looking ahead, the UK backed the Secretary‑General’s reform initiative and set out priorities: a more coherent UN that operates as one team in‑country; earlier conflict prevention through modern warning systems; a restored mediating and peacekeeping role; firmer compliance with humanitarian law; and greater support to local responders. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/speech-for-un-association-80th-anniversary-of-united-nations-general-assembly-meeting?utm_source=openai))
Policy Wire analysis: A ‘one‑UN’ approach, if implemented, implies tighter integration across agencies under Resident Coordinators, with pooled or programme funding replacing fragmented projects. UK missions and implementers should anticipate closer alignment to UN co‑operation frameworks and consolidated reporting demands.
Policy Wire analysis: Emphasis on support for local organisations and on compliance with international humanitarian law points to funding models that reward proximity and protection outcomes. UK‑funded NGOs may see stronger due‑diligence on civilian harm tracking, access negotiations and safeguarding in high‑risk operations.
Policy Wire analysis: Strengthening early warning would require data‑sharing between UN presences, regional bodies and capitals, alongside analytic capability and surge diplomacy. For the UK, that suggests clearer triggers for preventive action and flexible resourcing to move from alerts to de‑escalation.
Policy Wire analysis: On mediation and peacekeeping, the signal favours focused, politically led missions over expansive mandates with diffuse objectives. Monitoring UK positions in Security Council mandate renewals will indicate whether this rhetoric translates into budget and capability choices.
Closing the address, Hermer urged states not to ask the UN to do everything but to help it do what only it can, more effectively and efficiently, invoking Attlee’s 1946 message of determination. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/speech-for-un-association-80th-anniversary-of-united-nations-general-assembly-meeting?utm_source=openai))