The outgoing UN secretary general has said the world’s fault lines have turned from cracks into canyons, as superpowers show they alone cannot guarantee security or solve global problems through military, economic, and technological power. In his final address to the general assembly, António Guterres delivered a speech filled with despair but also glimpses of defiant hope. He said that over the past decade, which largely covered his 10 years in office, “wars erupted with devastating consequences and dragged on with despicable cruelty. Civilians were targeted. Human rights trampled. Hunger weaponised. Humanitarians killed. International law cast aside.” He added: “Geopolitical divides have deepened. Inequalities have intensified. Trust has frayed. The climate crisis went from distant warning to daily reality. And artificial intelligence moved at a speed that has blindsided even those who created it.” Without naming Israel, he said that after the Hamas attack in October 2023, “there was 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 criticized profiteering energy companies for “treating the world as an open sewer,” called Africa’s lack of a permanent seat on the UN security council stunning, and urged a new compact to regulate AI. Throughout, the 77-year-old Portuguese politician and diplomat argued that a multilateral system centered on a newly representative UN was the only way to address this new convergence of problems. However, he warned: “At the very moment when humanity faces an unprecedented convergence of threats, our mechanisms for collective action are under growing strain.” Without mentioning Donald Trump once, he said what was needed was “a recognition, especially by superpowers, that their power isn’t so super. Their power has limits. The events of recent years have made that unmistakably clear. Military power alone cannot secure peace. Economic power alone cannot command stability. And technological power alone cannot guarantee security.” View image in fullscreen Guterres addresses the 81st United Nations general assembly at the UN headquarters in New York City. Photograph: Brendan McDermid/Reuters It was critical to avoid hegemonic tendencies and what Guterres described as the “great fracture” – the division of the world into two rival blocs with separate economic, technological, and security systems. The defining challenge of the age, he said, was that world governance, reflecting the power realities of a bygone age, was not adapting to the way power was being redistributed between and within states. At the same time, there was “an extraordinary transfer of power away from governments to a handful of private corporations and individuals. Their reach now extends across politics, economies, information flows, technological development, and the civic space on which societies depend,” he said. “Humans are increasingly handing over power to machines – with artificial intelligence agents going rogue, and lethal autonomous weapons going from science fiction to military reality.” The choice was now whether the world would continue to fragment with rising tension, transactionalism, and shrinking cooperation, or change course towards a multilateral system centered on a UN that was balanced and representative. “The test before us is whether power will be exercised with the law – or beyond it,” Guterres said. “We must pass that test. We must defend the charter without double standards. Protect civilians without exception.” He urged world leaders to stop letting civilians pay the price for the cascading conflicts across the Middle East. Demanding that the fighting must stop and humanitarian aid must flow, he pointed out that the international court of justice had ordered last year that the UN be allowed to fulfill its mandates in Gaza. “MMeanwhile, violence, displacement, and settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank are destroying the path to peace and raising the threat of ethnic cleansing. “We cannot let the two-state solution vanish before our eyes,” he said. In Ukraine, Guterres said, “Russia’s full-scale invasion has subjected a sovereign country to a brutal war in clear violation of the UN Charter.” But he also warned that “in parts of Russia, homes, energy and water systems, and transport have come under repeated attack, threatening global food and energy supply chains.” For decades, he said, “big oil has treated the atmosphere like an open sewer—and profited from the consequences. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, five major Western oil companies have made nearly half a trillion dollars in profits. Compare that to just $34 billion in international public adaptation finance for developing countries in the most recent year reported.” He added, “With a supersized El Niño approaching, ordinary people are paying more for energy, food, and insurance.” Although he admitted that a 21st-century Security Council without permanent African representation is unjust and indefensible, he defended the cash-strapped and often criticized organization, saying the UN is where the powerful are held accountable. He announced that the United Nations had “achieved gender parity for the first time in history across all senior leadership … all headquarters … and all professional staff.” “Equality is not a dream. It is a decision,” he said. “If the UN can change, so can businesses, parliaments, governments, and peace processes.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of frequently asked questions based on the UN chiefs final address to the General Assembly regarding superpowers and global problemsolving
1 What did the UN chief say in his final speech
In his last speech to the General Assembly the UN SecretaryGeneral warned that a few powerful countriesor superpowerscannot fix the worlds biggest problems on their own He stressed that global challenges require global cooperation not just the actions of a few nations
2 What does superpowers mean in this context
Superpowers are countries with great military economic and political influencelike the United States China and Russia In this context the UN chief means that even these powerful nations cant solve global issues alone
3 Why cant superpowers solve the worlds problems by themselves
Because todays problemslike climate change pandemics wars and food shortagesaffect everyone and cross borders No single country no matter how strong has enough resources reach or trust to fix them alone
4 What kinds of problems was he talking about
He was referring to major global issues such as climate change armed conflicts poverty inequality pandemics and threats to democracy and human rights
5 What does the UN chief want instead
He wants countries to work together through the United Nations and other international groups He is calling for more teamwork shared responsibility and respect for international law
6 Why is this message important now
Because the world is becoming more divided Trust between big powers is low and many countries are focusing on their own interests The UN chief is warning that this path is dangerous for everyone
7 What are some examples of problems that need global cooperation
Climate change No country can stop global warming alone
Pandemics Viruses spread across borders so all countries must share information and resources
Nuclear weapons Only global agreements can prevent their spread
Food and energy crises These are linked to war and trade affecting many nations at once
8 What happens if superpowers try to solve problems alone
They may make things worse For example one country acting alone on climate or trade can hurt others and cause conflict It can also lead to unfair solutions that ignore smaller nations
