As world leaders gather in New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), this year’s General Debate theme—“Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all”—captures the scale and interconnectedness of today’s challenges. Health shapes economic potential, technology is reshaping trade and work, and disruptions to energy flows ripple across economies.
Responding to these shifts means looking beyond individual challenges to the links between them. Investing in healthier populations can strengthen economies, building brain capital can help societies adapt in the age of AI, and more resilient energy and trade networks can help absorb future shocks. The rapid evolution of AI illustrates how technology, infrastructure, institutions, and people move at different speeds—and why closing those gaps matters.
Explore the insights below for perspectives on navigating these interconnected forces and turning rapid transformation into durable progress—and learn more about the McKinsey Health Institute’s role in this year’s UNGA.
The human advantage: Stronger brains in the age of AI
The health of nations: Stronger health, stronger economies
The path toward a metabolic health revolution
CARE for women: Investing in care delivery to improve women’s lives and livelihoods
Aftershocks: Energy security beyond the Strait of Hormuz crisis
Geopolitics and the geometry of global trade: September 2026 update
The AI economy: Interconnected forces, feedback loops, and speeds of change