title: The Weak Suffer What They Must
abstract: This article critically investigates the effectiveness and legitimacy of multilateral institutions, with a focus on the United Nations (UN), in a scenario of international asymmetry. Based on an integrative literature review and updated data on the UN's budget and functional structure, it is argued that promises of global equity and justice rarely materialize, especially for weaker countries. Three central paradoxes are highlighted: the inefficiency of an inflated structure, the hypocrisy in arm