“In Larger Freedom”: Decision Time at the UN

The wide range of threats afflicting different regions today complicates international collaboration. In an interconnected world, however, these threats are often more closely related than we realize. Extreme poverty and civil conflict in one country, for example, encourage terrorist groups to strike in another; the outbreak of disease in a region with poor health care may spread to wealthier areas by air travel. According to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, "All of us are vulnerable to what we think of as dangers that threaten only other people." Annan believes that a collective security system is necessary to combat these threats, but that for the UN to fill such a role, massive changes are required. Here, he presents his vision for the future of the UN, outlining the changes that will enable it to respond not only to war, terrorism, and arms proliferation, but also to fight poverty, disease, and environmental degradation – issues inextricably tied to security. He underscores the need to recognize that "our safety, our prosperity – indeed, our freedom – is indivisible." – YaleGlobal