Behind all the speechmaking at the UN lies a basic, unspoken question: Is the world governable?

By TED ANTHONY
AP National Writer

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — At the United Nations, “multilateralism” is always the goal, however fragmented and complex. Yet so is the quest for a coherent storyline that unites all 193 member states and their ideas. Those two holy grails often find themselves at odds when leaders gather each September at the United Nations. Which raises the bigger question: With the 21st century unfolding in all of its complexities and conundrums, with fracture and fragmentation everywhere, can the world even be governed? To hear the speeches of world leaders these first few days of their annual gathering, the jury is still out.