United Nations General Assembly Speech by António Guterres
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres kicked off this year’s General Assembly on Tuesday with a speech addressing the urgent “climate crisis,” promoting a “two-state solution” in the Middle East, and reiterating various global goals he plans to support even after leaving his post in January.
This was Guterres’s final speech at the General Assembly as his term comes to an end. His addresses reflected his ongoing priorities for the U.N., which include diminishing national powers in favor of “globalism,” treating the so-called “climate crisis” as a significant threat requiring substantial wealth redistribution, and enhancing the power of the U.N. itself, often at the cost of its member states. He firmly demanded the end of fossil fuel usage, a stance that has become less popular even among attendees of U.N. climate conferences, and called upon “superpowers” to act with humility for the greater good.
“The fault lines in our world are widening; cracks have become canyons,” Guterres proclaimed, offering an alarming depiction of humanity and the “despicable cruelty” he claims has become pervasive.
He noted, “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.” He sees these issues as interconnected, part of a larger narrative surrounding power—who has it, who lacks it, and how it is wielded and evolving.
Guterres expressed concern that although “we are clearly moving towards a multipolar world and that movement is irreversible,” nations focused on their own interests threaten the vision of a united humanity governed by the U.N. and “international law.”
“One possibility is a world of fragmentation and transactionalism, rising tensions and deepening mistrust,” he cautioned. “But there is another path—a path towards networked multipolarity, a world built on interdependence.”
He advocated for a future where various centers of influence operate under a unified framework of international law and shared standards, opposing what he referred to as “hegemonic tendencies” and the “great fracture,” a term he used to describe the Cold War-era division into rival blocs with distinct economic and security systems.
To realize this ideal, he suggested that unnamed “superpowers” must understand that their might is not as overwhelming as they believe. While the U.S. is the primary acknowledged superpower, he didn’t clarify which other nations he sees as sharing that status.
Additionally, Guterres discussed the urgent need for reform within the U.N. Security Council, particularly to grant permanent seats to African nations, yet he did not explain why these reforms were not pursued during his tenure as Secretary-General.
He proudly noted the U.N.’s achievement of achieving “gender parity” in senior roles and reiterated the call for a “future without fossil fuels,” insisting that “polluters must pay.” His comments included an odd claim where he suggested he had foreseen flooding in Nepal and blamed fossil fuel use for related glacier collapses.
Regarding the Middle East, Guterres seemed to criticize Iran, stating that “navigational rights and freedoms must be fully restored in accordance with international law.” He also called for a return to the “two-state solution,” which proposes establishing a “Palestine” adjacent to Israel—a plan that has lost traction with many stakeholders in both Israel and the Muslim community, where some view the existence of Israel as illegitimate.
In closing, Guterres acknowledged his impending departure from the Secretary-General role, promising that regardless of where he might be in the future, he would continue advocating for peace, universal human dignity, and the importance of law over power.
