One power ‘calling the shots’ won’t fix world woes: UN
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his comments towards the USA and China, said that global problems cannot be solved by a single power “deciding” or dividing the world into rival areas.
Guterres spoke to reporters to mark the beginning of his 10th and final year in office. The UN Security Council will elect his successor in late 2026.
“Global problems will not be solved by a single power deciding,” Guterres said, later adding that this was a reference to the United States.
“These problems will not be solved by two powers dividing the world into rival spheres of influence.”
When asked to explain, he said most people see a future with two poles, one with the United States and the other with China.
“If we want a stable world, if we want a world where peace can be sustained, development can be expanded and ultimately our values will prevail, we need to support multipolarity.”
The U.S. and Chinese missions to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US President Donald Trump, who began his second term a year ago, is reviving what much of the international community has long rejected as an outdated worldview: spheres of influence shaped by major powers.
He vowed to restore US dominance in the Western Hemisphere.
Guterres’ remarks came a week after Trump launched the Peace Board. This was initially designed to solidify the acrimonious ceasefire in Gaza, but Trump envisions it taking on a broader role, an approach that worries some global powers.
“I think the main responsibility for international peace and security lies with the UN, the Security Council,” Guterres said.
“This is why reforming the Security Council is so important. It is very interesting to see that those who criticize the UN for its ineffectiveness are also those who oppose reforming the Security Council.
“This is why the UN is sometimes not as effective as we would all like.”
Guterres’ second five-year term was marked by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the conflict in Sudan, the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the rapid end of the civil war in Syria, and the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Guterres said, “International law has been trampled on. Cooperation is being eroded. Multilateral institutions are also under attack from many fronts.”
“Impunity fuels today’s conflicts, fueling tensions, increasing mistrust, and kicking down the doors for powerful spoilers to enter from all directions.”
The UN is facing a cash crisis as the United States, the world’s largest donor, cuts voluntary funding to UN agencies and refuses to make mandatory payments to the UN’s regular and peacekeeping budgets.
In March, it established a reform task force known as UN80, aimed at reducing costs and improving efficiency.
