Pope Leo has warned that the United Nations and other multilateral institutions are facing a “crisis of effectiveness” as governments increasingly treat dialogue as an obstacle rather than a path to peace.
Addressing officials at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the pontiff said international cooperation risks becoming a performance when powerful states apply the law selectively and ignore it whenever it restricts their interests.
His intervention came during a tense United Nations General Assembly in New York, where disputes over Iran, Gaza and wider regional conflicts have exposed sharp divisions among member states.
The pope argued that justice cannot function as a commodity and urged political leaders to restore credibility to institutions created to resolve disputes without violence.
He also placed artificial intelligence at the centre of his visit to France, calling for education in ethical judgment as automated systems exert a growing influence over daily life and public decision-making.
The speech connected technological governance with the wider multilateral crisis, suggesting that international institutions must remain capable of establishing shared standards for emerging risks.
Leo’s warning adds a prominent moral voice to the debate over UN reform and whether existing institutions can still deliver collective action during escalating geopolitical confrontation.
Source: Reuters via AOL, 25 September 2026.
Featured photo: Mathias Reding via Unsplash.