In a direct and candid farewell address, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres challenged world leaders on Tuesday to confront the defining dilemma of our era: Will the international community continue down a path of fragmentation, or will it unite to address existential threats like the climate crisis, unchecked artificial intelligence, and widening inequality?
At the core of these challenges lies the issue of power, Guterres explained to the annual high-level U.N. General Assembly. He highlighted the “irreversible” shift toward a multipolar world, the “extraordinary transfer of power” from sovereign governments to a small group of private corporations and individuals, and the increasing delegation of human authority to artificial intelligence.
Guterres urged leaders to avoid what he termed “the great fracture – the division of the world into two rival blocs with separate military power alone cannot security peace” and that “no power can solve today’s challenges along.”
The future will be determined by how the world manages “four great tests of power” – power over war and peace, power fueling climate chaos, power unleashed by artificial intelligence and “power that concentrates wealth and drives inequality,” he said.
War and peace
Peace and security represent “the first great power test in the 21st century,” the U.N. chief stated. He called on leaders to use their weeklong summit to demand an end to conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, and other regions, while insisting on a return to diplomatic dialogue.
Climate crisis
The climate crisis, Guterres noted, is in many ways “the most profound intergenerational power imbalance of all – one generation consuming the future of the next.”
The world is nearing a breach of the 1.5 degree Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) safety threshold established 11 years ago to mitigate the worst impacts of global warming, he said, adding that “the dangers are real, but so is the hope.” He pointed to the last decade as a period that has driven “one of the most promising shifts in power of our time” toward clean energy.
Artificial intelligence
Regarding artificial intelligence, he said, “the danger is not technology without accountability,” noting that even its creators are now raising concerns.
Guterres encouraged AI competitors to collaborate—much like Cold War rivals did following World War II—to “to manage shared existential risks.”
“Let us resolve that life-and-death decisions must never be surrendered to machines,” he said. “Killer robots must have no place in our future.”
Inequality
Emphasizing that inequality is fundamentally a power issue, the U.N. chief remarked, “Never has humanity possessed so much wealth, knowledge and technological capability. Yet for billions, progress remains out of reach.”
He lamented that for these billions, basic necessities like food, clean water, education, employment, health care, and dignity remain unattainable, noting that most U.N. development and poverty-reduction goals are unlikely to be met by 2030.
Future <a second five-year term concludes on Dec. 31, and the path forward for U.N. leadership remains uncertain: After three straw polls among the eight contenders in the Security Council, no clear successor has emerged.
Guterres stated that the foundation “for the effective, legitimate and responsible exercise of power in the 21st century” is found in the United Nations Charter, which is rooted in “the primacy of international law. Upholding human dignity and the pursuit of justice in all its dimensions.”
However, he stressed the urgent need to reform the 81-year-old United Nations—originally established by the victors of World War II to prevent future global conflicts—to better reflect the realities of the 21st century.
Guterres called on the presidents, prime ministers, and ministers present to commit to the comprehensive reform package adopted by the 193 member nations, aiming to bolster the organization’s resolve “to build a future that works for everyone.”
With visible emotion, Guterres concluded by vowing to “never, ever give up” on the core values of the U.N., including the rule of law, national sovereignty, and human rights.
“Wherever I will be, whatever I will be doing, I will keep championing the conviction that peace is possible,” he said, before exiting the rostrum to a sustained standing ovation, his hand placed over his heart.
