In his final annual address outlining his priorities, Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the world is “brimming with conflict, impunity, inequality and unpredictability” – even as international cooperation is fraying at the moment it is most needed.
Speaking in the General Assembly on 15 January, he said the global system was under unprecedented strain from wars, division, climate breakdown and the erosion of respect for international law.
He framed the speech as both a diagnosis of the current global disorder and a personal commitment to press for change during his final year in office.
‘The context is chaos’
“The context is chaos,” Mr. Guterres told delegates. “We are a world brimming with conflict, impunity, inequality and unpredictability.”
Rather than presenting a checklist of initiatives, he said he wanted to look beyond the coming year and focus on the “larger forces and megatrends shaping our world,” identifying three principles that must guide the work of the United Nations and its Member States.
At a time when geopolitical divisions are widening amid cuts to development and humanitarian funding, Mr. Guterres said multilateralism itself was being tested.
“That is the paradox of our era: at a time when we need international cooperation the most, we seem to be the least inclined to use it and invest in it,” he said, adding: “Some seek to put international cooperation on deathwatch. I can assure you: we will not give up.”
The Secretary-General’s three guiding priorities
1. Uphold the UN Charter
Respect for international law without exception, including protection of civilians, human rights, and the rule of law.
2. Peace between nations and peace with nature
Ending conflicts while addressing their root causes through development, human rights, and climate action.
3. Unity in an age of division
Countering inequality, exclusion, racism, and disinformation by building inclusive, united societies.
A personal note
In his address, the Secretary-General also struck a personal note, reminding delegates that this would be his last annual priorities address.
“Let me assure you that I will make every day of 2026 count,” he said. “I am fully committed and fully determined to keep working, to keep fighting, and to keep pushing for the better world that we know is possible.”
