In a sharply worded statement, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that major powers that themselves breach international law hold seats on the Security Council, stressing that reform of the 15-member global body "must be an absolute priority."
Secretary-General Guterres also emphasized the importance of a “redistribution of power.”
To be clear, we are confronting deep geopolitical divisions, and within these fractures, there are influential states that themselves violate international law while serving as members of the Security Council. This has, as we know, resulted in the Security Council becoming paralyzed, Mr. Guterres told reporters on Wednesday, 16 September 2026.
This is why overhauling the Security Council must be treated as an urgent priority. It is intolerable that its current makeup mirrors a world from many decades ago rather than the realities of today.
This outdated structure has led to deadlock, the UN Secretary-General said at a press conference at UN Headquarters ahead of the high-level week of the 81st session of the General Assembly.
Mr. Guterres added that the Security Council’s paralysis has fostered a climate in which, because the major powers are setting a poor example, countries across the globe feel justified in acting solely according to their own wishes.
They are fully aware they can act without consequences because the Security Council, the body tasked with upholding global peace and security is effectively paralysed.
This lack of accountability has fostered an environment in which an increasing number of states breach international law, international humanitarian law, and human rights law, all while enjoying complete impunity.
Ultimately, this is a matter of power: the current distribution and exercise of power in the world prevents multilateral institutions from functioning effectively, he said.
Answering another question on whether he views organisations such as BRICS as complementary or potential alternatives in reflecting the global power shift, Mr. Guterres stated that current institutions mirror power dynamics from many decades ago, most of them dating back to the period immediately following World War II.
“But the world is changing, and we are seeing the emergence of new powers. And today, if one looks at the global economy, every single day the percentage of developed countries in global GDP diminishes a little bit, and every single day the percentage of emerging economies in the global GDP increases a little bit.
“So, there is a change in what is the relative weight of countries in the world today in relation to what it was when these institutions were created. So, the power relations no longer correspond to the realities of the world. There must be a redistribution of power."
The week-long General Debate, which will convene Heads of State and Government, Foreign Ministers, and other leaders and envoys from across the globe at UN Headquarters, begins on September 22, when U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to address world leaders from the iconic green podium in the UNGA Hall.
This will mark the final high-level UNGA week for Mr. Guterres, as his second five-year term as United Nations Secretary-General concludes in December 2026.
When asked to identify the key lesson from his decade as the world’s leading diplomat, Mr. Guterres responded: "The main lesson I draw is that as the world becomes increasingly multipolar, it is crucial to reform multilateral institutions so they can function effectively in advancing peace, development, and human rights, which are the three core pillars of the United Nations."