António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General
Humanity is speeding past the limit to avoid climate catastrophe. [...] Every fraction of a degree will cost lives, destroy livelihoods, deepen inequality, and push ecosystems closer to irreversible damage. [...] Now is the time to raise ambition and accelerate action. The fight for 1.5 degrees is the fight for humanity.
News stories
16 October 2026 — The United Nations Secretary-General appealed on Friday for governments, businesses and communities to accelerate efforts to protect biodiversity for future generations and all life on Earth.
15 October 2026 — Fewer than half of the national targets set to protect the world’s plants, animals and ecosystems are on track, the UN warns in a new report, days before countries gather in Yerevan, Armenia, for the COP17 biodiversity conference.
6 October 2026 — The UN Secretary-General appealed on Tuesday for an end to the United States-Iran war and the toll it has taken on global trade, as he began an official visit to Pakistan.
Did you know?
Number of United Nations Secretaries-General since its creation in 1945
Number of years of the term of office of the UN Secretary-General, with the possibility of renewal
First Secretary-General to have previously held the position of Head of Government
Number of candidates for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations in 2016
