He framed the speech as a diagnosis of the current global disorder and as a personal commitment to press for change during his final year in office.
The Secretary-General’s three guiding priorities
1. Defend the Charter of the United Nations
Respect for international law without exception, including the protection of civilians, human rights and the rule of law.
2. Peace between nations and peace with nature
End conflicts and address their root causes through development, human rights and climate action.
3. Unity in an era of division
Counter inequality, exclusion, racism and misinformation by building inclusive and united societies.
read the address here.
Hear to the Secretary General’s speech.
‘The context is chaos’
“The context is chaos,“Mr. Guterres told delegates.”We are a world full of conflicts, impunity, inequality and unpredictability.”
Instead of presenting a list of initiatives, he said he wanted to look beyond the coming year and focus on the “most important forces and megatrends shaping our world,” identifying three principles that should guide the work of the United Nations and its Member States.
At a time when geopolitical divisions are widening amid cuts to humanitarian and development funding, Guterres said multilateralism itself was being tested.
“This is the paradox of our era: at the time when we need international cooperation most, we seem to be the least willing to use and invest in it,” he said, adding: “Some seek to put international cooperation on death alert. I can assure you: we will not give up.“
Peace is more than the absence of war.
The UN chief highlighted the current commitment of the UN in conflicts since From Gaza and Ukraine to Sudan and Yemenalthough he stressed that silencing the guns alone would not be enough.
“Peace is more than the absence of war,” he said, arguing that poverty, lack of development, inequality and weak institutions continue to fuel violence. “Sustainable peace requires sustainable development.”
Guterres was forthright about what he described as the visible erosion of international law. “The erosion of international law does not happen in the shadows. It is unfolding before the eyes of the world, on our screens, live in 4K,” he said.
It pointed to attacks on civilians and aid workers, unconstitutional changes of government, silencing of dissent, trampling on human rights and looting of resources.
He also raised the alarm about the increasing concentration of wealth and powernoting that the richest one percent now own 43 percent of the world’s financial assets. “This level of concentration is morally indefensible,” he said.
Secretary-General Guterres addresses the General Assembly on his priorities for 2026.
Stay in control of technology
Guterres also highlighted the challenges of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, and warned that the algorithms that shape public life should not be controlled by just a handful of companies. “We must ensure that humanity leads technology and not the other way around.” said.
On climate change, the Secretary-General warned that a world mired in climate chaos “cannot be a world at peace”, and emphasized that while a temporary exceedance of the 1.5°C temperature threshold was now inevitable, it was not irreversible.
He urged faster emissions cuts, a just transition away from fossil fuels and greater climate finance.
Guterres also stressed the need to reform global institutions, including international financial organizations and the Security Council, arguing that “solving the problems of 1945 will not solve the problems of 2026.”
He warned that structures that do not reflect today’s world would lose legitimacy.
a personal note
In his speech, the Secretary-General also made a personal comment, reminding delegates that this would be his last annual address on priorities.
“Let me assure you that I will make every day of 2026 count,” he said. “I am fully committed and determined to keep working, keep fighting and keep pushing for the better world we know is possible.”
Guterres took office in January 2017, succeeding Ban Ki-moon of the Republic of Korea, at a time of relative optimism for multilateralism, shortly after world leaders agreed on the Paris Agreement on climate change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (the SDGs), which succeeded the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).