United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the world is facing deep geopolitical divisions, a paralysed Security Council and a growing sense of impunity, but said international cooperation can still provide a path forward.

In an interview ahead of the annual UN General Assembly meeting, Guterres said governments must work together to address conflicts, inequality and the rapidly developing challenges posed by artificial intelligence. He is set to leave office at the end of the year after nearly a decade as UN chief, but said he remained hopeful about the years ahead.

“I believe in a number of fundamental things that need to be done, and need to happen for the world to be better – and I’m determined to fight to make those things happen,” he said.

Guterres Flags Three Major Global Risks

Guterres urged leaders and ministers from the UN’s 193 member states to “very seriously analyse” what he described as three major existential challenges facing the world.

He identified “at least three existential problems — runaway artificial intelligence, galloping climate change, and escalating inequality that is becoming a serious driver of instability and conflict”.

According to Guterres, these challenges are unfolding against the backdrop of a “huge geopolitical divide” and a Security Council that has increasingly struggled to act because of disagreements among its permanent members.

He said the paralysis had contributed to an environment in which powerful countries could disregard international law and the UN Charter. He cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and US attacks on Iran, both involving permanent members of the Security Council with veto powers.

“Many countries say, ‘If superpowers can violate the law, why can’t we?’” he said.

“And so what we are seeing around the world is more and more situations in which countries simply do not care. They do whatever they want, knowing that there will be total impunity.”

Conflicts Weigh On Global Economy

Guterres said violations of international law had resulted in deaths and widespread destruction, while the wars in Ukraine and the wider Middle East were having “a dramatic impact” on the global economy.

Food and energy prices have risen, interest rates have increased and developing countries are facing greater difficulty in meeting the needs of their populations, he said.

Guterres expressed hope that these pressures would encourage governments to recognise that such challenges cannot be addressed by individual countries acting alone.

He also called for reforms to major international institutions established after World War II, including the United Nations, the Security Council, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

These institutions, he said, need to be updated to reflect the realities of the 21st century, including the growing influence of emerging economies and powers.

UN’s Limited Powers Amid Global Divisions

Guterres acknowledged that the UN has limited tools at its disposal. As secretary-general, he said, he has no army, no intelligence service and limited financial resources.

However, he said he has “two powers” available to him: the ability to speak out on global issues and the power to bring the world’s governments together.

Geopolitical divisions have meant that the UN currently has “no leverage” in efforts to promote peace in Ukraine and the Middle East, Guterres said.

Despite those constraints, he said he has continued to defend the UN Charter and the territorial integrity of countries, while condemning “horrible violations of human rights”.

Guterres condemned Hamas’ “intolerable” attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. At the same time, he criticised Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, describing “the horrible situation that Israel has created in Gaza with levels of death and destruction that have no parallel in the history of the United Nations”.

He said the UN should not adopt “a transactional approach to politics” and must remain “a reference of values and principles for the whole world”.

“Someone must affirm that the law of force cannot prevail over the force of law,” he said.

AI To Be Major Focus At UN Gathering

Artificial intelligence is expected to be another major issue at this year’s UN gathering. Guterres reiterated his call for international cooperation and safeguards around AI, describing the technology as “a universal problem”.

He said countries with “a higher capacity” in AI should share information, establish transparency mechanisms and introduce safeguards while helping build a multilateral system capable of limiting potential risks.

The UN chief’s comments come as governments continue to debate how AI should be governed while ensuring that its benefits are more widely shared.

UN Faces Financial Strain

Guterres also spoke about the UN’s financial difficulties, saying the organisation is under significant pressure largely because the US has not paid billions of dollars owed towards the regular and peacekeeping budgets.

Despite the shortfall, he said the UN had avoided a financial meltdown and was implementing major reforms that had been pushed by the Trump administration.

Guterres said the organisation had continued its work with fewer resources and defended its financial management.

“I think we demonstrated that we have the best control of public expenditure in any organisation of any country in the world,” he said.

Guterres To Meet Trump On UNGA Opening Day

Guterres has worked with US President Donald Trump for nearly six of his 10 years as UN secretary-general. He described the relationship between Washington and the UN as having been difficult at some points and easier at others.

He said the UN is currently cooperating with the US on peace negotiations in Western Sahara and elsewhere.

Guterres is scheduled to meet Trump on Tuesday, the opening day of the UN gathering. He said he plans to discuss efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine and the Middle East.

“I hope that these two objectives might be able to unite the efforts of not only the US and the UN but the whole of the international community,” he said.

As world leaders prepare to gather at the United Nations, Guterres’ message centres on the need for collective action to address global conflicts, economic pressures, institutional reform, artificial intelligence and challenges to international law.

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