Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to reporters at UN headquarters in New York. Guterres spoke about the priorities of the UN in 2026 UN
“The law of force defeats the force of law.” This is how UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the current state of international relations, speaking to reporters in New York. He spoke about the Organization’s work priorities for 2026, which will be his last as head of the UN.
Period of chaos and uncertainty
According to Guterres, 2026 is shaping up early on as a period of chaos and uncertainty. The Secretary General emphasized that the world lives in conditions where actions – especially reckless ones – cause a dangerous reaction. This is exacerbated by geopolitical divisions and exacerbated by impunity that undermines international stability.
He noted that international law is being violated, institutions of multilateral cooperation are under attack, and impunity is rampant in the world.
“Impunity has become a driving force in today’s conflicts, fueling escalation, deepening mistrust and opening the door to powerful destructive forces,” Guterres said.
The world is changing rapidly
He paid special attention to the humanitarian situation in the world. Reducing funding for humanitarian aid, according to the Secretary General, starts a “chain reaction” of despair, population displacement and death.
At the same time, inequality is deepening in the world, shaking societies. The climate crisis remains one of the most serious challenges of our time. And the lack of restrictions in the development of new technologies leads to instability.
At the same time, mechanisms for solving global problems are outdated, Guterres noted, and the world is rapidly changing: the economic influence of developing countries is increasing, and South-South trade is ahead of traditional North-North flows.
The need to develop multilateral institutions
The Secretary General said that global problems cannot be solved by one power or two competing powers trying to divide the world into spheres of influence. According to him, it is necessary to accelerate and purposefully develop multipolarity based on partnership.
“However, multipolarity in itself does not guarantee stability or peace. Europe before the First World War was multipolar. But the lack of effective multilateral institutions has led to confrontation and war,” Guterres said.
“For a multipolar world to deliver balance, prosperity and peace, we need strong multilateral institutions whose legitimacy is based on shared responsibilities and shared values,” he added.
UN priorities
The Secretary General said that the Organization will continue to strive for a just and stable world.
One of the main priorities of his work in the last year will be the reform of the Security Council.
“We are working hard to reform and strengthen the Security Council, the only body with the Charter authority to act on matters of peace and security on behalf of all countries,” Guterres said.
He emphasized that there cannot be peace and stability without development and the UN will continue to do everything possible to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The most important areas of work in 2026 will also be the fight against climate change and the creation of a system for global management of artificial intelligence. He recalled that an International Scientific Group on Artificial Intelligence was created within the UN.