In a sit‑down interview ahead of the U.N. General Assembly, the departing secretary‑general warned that the Security Council’s paralysis and a “huge geopolitical divide” have created an environment of impunity, citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the United States’ attacks on Iran as examples of veto‑holding powers flouting international law.
Guterres said the resulting violations have driven up food and energy prices, raised interest rates and left developing nations struggling to meet basic needs, linking the Russia‑Ukraine war and broader Middle‑East conflict to a “dramatic impact” on the global economy.
He called for sweeping reforms of post‑World War II institutions – the United Nations, its Security Council, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank – to reflect the rise of emerging economies and to give them a greater voice in decision‑making.
On artificial intelligence, Guterres described the technology as a “universal problem” that could spiral out of human control. He urged nations with advanced AI capabilities to share information, establish transparency mechanisms and create multilateral guardrails to prevent catastrophic risks.
The secretary‑general also reiterated his condemnation of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack in Israel and of Israel’s “horrible” actions in Gaza, emphasizing that the U.N. must remain a “reference of values and principles” rather than a transactional political actor.
Financially, Guterres noted that the United Nations has avoided a budgetary crisis despite the United States’ failure to pay billions owed to both the regular and peace‑keeping budgets, and he praised the agency’s tight control of public expenditure.
Looking ahead to the opening day of the General Assembly, Guterres said he will meet U.S. President Donald Trump to raise the issues of peace in Ukraine and the Middle East, hoping the two crises might galvanise broader international cooperation.
He concluded that while the U.N. lacks an army, intelligence service or large budget, its two powers – the ability to speak out on global issues and to convene the world’s nations – remain essential for confronting the challenges of the coming decade.