UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered his final UNGA address on September 22, 2026, urging Security Council reform to reflect 21st-century realities and warning of a “Great Fracture” between rival global blocs.
António Guterres, in his final high-level UNGA address as UN chief, called for sweeping reforms to the Security Council, arguing that its post-World War II structure no longer represents global power dynamics. The speech, delivered on September 22, 2026, marked the end of his second five-year term, which concludes in December 2026. Guterres emphasized that the 15-nation body, designed in 1945, lacks legitimacy to address modern challenges like climate change, AI, and geopolitical fragmentation.
A Call for Security Council Reform
Guterres highlighted Africa’s exclusion from permanent Security Council representation as a stunning example
of the body’s irrelevance. When the UN was founded, most of Africa was still under colonial rule. Today, Africa still has no permanent seat on the Council,
he said, drawing applause from world leaders. The UN chief’s remarks align with India’s longstanding push for expansion, as New Delhi seeks a permanent seat amid its 2028–29 non-permanent term bid.
The Security Council’s five veto-wielding members—China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US—have failed to resolve conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and other regions, Guterres noted. Our mechanisms for collective action are under growing strain,
he said, citing deepening geopolitical divides and “frayed trust.”
The Great Fracture: A Divided World
Superpowers’ Limits and the AI Challenge
Guterres stressed that no single power—military, economic, or technological—can solve global crises. Military power alone cannot secure peace. Economic power alone cannot command stability. And technological power alone cannot guarantee security,
he said. The UN chief criticized profiteering energy companies for treating the world as an open sewer,
citing profits by Western oil firms since Russia’s Ukraine invasion versus $34bn in international climate finance for developing nations.
He also addressed AI’s rapid rise, warning of lethal autonomous weapons
transitioning from science fiction to military reality. Humans are increasingly handing over power to machines,
Guterres said, calling for a new compact to regulate AI.
Conflict, Inequality, and the Climate Crisis
Guterres condemned the despicable cruelty
of wars, citing the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the resulting Gaza conflict as an onslaught on Palestinians in Gaza, with a scale of killing and destruction unlike anything I have witnessed in all my years as secretary general.
He called for an end to Middle East fighting and humanitarian aid access, noting the International Court of Justice’s 2025 ruling allowing the UN to fulfill its mandates in Gaza.
The UN chief also highlighted the climate crisis, stating it had gone from distant warning to daily reality.
He criticized the extraordinary transfer of power away from governments to a handful of private corporations and individuals,
warning that this shift undermines global governance.
What Comes Next: Reform or Fragmentation?
As the world grapples with AI, climate, and geopolitical divides, Guterres’ call for reform underscores a critical question: Can multilateralism adapt to a multipolar era, or will fragmentation define the 21st century?