PARIS: Pope Leo said on Friday that the United Nations and other multilateral groups were in crisis, warning in a speech at the Paris headquarters of the UN culture and education body, Unesco, that international dialogue risked becoming a “charade”.

The first US pope, speaking on a visit to France as a tense UN General Assem­bly unfolded in New York, also decried world leaders who disrespected the rule of law, without naming individuals.

“Instead of respecting the law, those in power invoke it when it serves their interests and disregard it when it restrains them, treating even justice itself as though it were a commodity to be bought and sold,” said the pontiff.

The UN and other multilateral groups “are experiencing a crisis of effectiveness”, he said. “Dialogue is seen as an obstacle to action rather than a resource for peace, a charade rather than an opportunity to seek the common good together.” Leo, who became pope in May 2025, drew the ire of US President Donald Trump earlier in the year after criticising the Iran war.

This year’s UN General Assembly, ending on Monday, has been the scene of heated arguments. In a speech on Tuesday, Trump threatened to annihilate Iran if it did not agree terms to end the war. On Thursday, dozens of delegates left the assembly hall as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke. Trump announced in 2025 that the US would withdraw from Unesco.

Leo is on a whirlwind four-day, three-city visit to France, where he is seeking to repair the Church’s standing there after abuse scandals sparked nationwide shock.

The pope, who has made sounding the alarm about the risks of AI a central part of his 16-month papacy, put the issue at the heart of his visit to France.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2026