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Guterres says law-breaking powers have paralysed the UN Security Council
Antonio Guterres said powers that violate international law have paralysed the UN Security Council. He argued urgent reform and a redistribution of power are vital for effective multilateral action.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has sharply criticised the present global order, saying powerful countries that violate international law still sit on the UN Security Council, leaving the body paralysed. He said reform of the 15-member Council "must be an absolute priority" and argued that multilateral institutions need to reflect today’s world rather than power structures from decades ago.
Speaking ahead of the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Guterres also called for a "redistribution of power". Responding to a question on the rise of forums such as BRICS, he said the world is becoming more multipolar and institutions must be reformed to remain effective. He made the remarks at what will be his final high-level UNGA week before his second five-year term ends in December 2026.
Addressing reporters at the UN headquarters on Wednesday, Guterres said, "Well, let’s be clear. We have geopolitical divides, and in these geopolitical divides, we have powers that themselves violate international law and sit in the Security Council. And that has been paralysing the Security Council, as we know." He added, "That is why the reform of the Security Council must be an absolute priority. It is unacceptable to have a Security Council with a composition that reflects the world of many decades ago instead of reflecting today’s world."
He said the Council’s paralysis had wider consequences. According to Guterres, "because the example coming from the biggest powers is not a good example, every country around the world feels that they are entitled to do whatever they want." He said countries know they can act "with impunity" because the Security Council, which is meant to maintain global peace and security, is unable to act effectively. "That impunity has created this environment in which we see more and more countries violating international law", international humanitarian law and human rights law, and "doing it in total impunity," he said.
Guterres said the issue ultimately comes down to power and how it is distributed. "The question is a question of power. And the question is that the way power is distributed and power is used in our world does not allow multilateral institutions to act effectively," he said. On whether BRICS and similar organisations may supplement or emerge as alternatives amid shifting global power, he said today’s institutions still reflect power relations from the end of World War II. He noted that the share of developed countries in global GDP falls a little each day, while the share of emerging economies rises, meaning power relations no longer match present realities. "There must be a redistribution of power," he said.
He said reform of multilateral institutions is essential to that redistribution, and identified the Security Council and the Bretton Woods system as the two areas where change is most needed. The week-long General Debate of the UN General Assembly begins on September 22 and will bring heads of state and government, foreign ministers, leaders and envoys from around the world to the UN headquarters. US President Donald Trump is scheduled to address world leaders from the green podium in the UNGA Hall.
Asked what one lesson he would take away from his last 10 years as the world’s top diplomat, Guterres said, "The lesson that I would take away is that when we have a world that is becoming more and more multipolar, it is essential to reform the multilateral institutions to be able to make those institutions effective in relation to the promotion of peace, development, and human rights that are the three pillars of the UN." In essence, Guterres used the run-up to the General Assembly’s high-level week to press again for reform of global institutions, especially the Security Council, saying they must reflect current realities if they are to work effectively.
