Guterres warns geopolitical divide is paralysing UN Security Council
The UN secretary-general says escalating conflicts and institutional division are worsening humanitarian and economic pressures, particularly in developing countries.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the global situation is deteriorating as a “dramatic geopolitical divide” paralyses the Security Council.
Speaking to Al Jazeera on the first day of the UN General Assembly in New York, Guterres pointed to the Russia-Ukraine war and what the source describes as the US-Israel war on Iran. He said alleged violations of international law by major powers had created an “environment of impunity”.
Guterres said the conflicts were contributing to disruption in food, fertiliser and energy supplies, as well as higher fuel prices and global inflation. He said the effects were particularly severe in developing countries, where rising energy and food costs were placing populations in a desperate position.
He also called for reforms to keep the United Nations relevant, arguing that the Security Council still largely reflects the post-World War II order. His comments were framed as an assessment of the organisation’s ability to respond to multiplying and increasingly complex conflicts.
Guterres’s term as secretary-general is due to end on 31 December 2026, with no successor yet named. A nominee must secure at least nine votes on the 15-member Security Council and avoid a veto from any of its permanent members before going to a General Assembly vote.
