New York Speaking from Hanoi via video link on United Nations Day, Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a powerful address to the Security Council, marking the UN’s 80th anniversary with a call for structural reform and renewed global trust.
Key highlights from his speech:
- Legitimacy at risk: Guterres warned that the Council’s “fragile legitimacy” could endanger peace if it remains gridlocked and unrepresentative. He emphasized that the body must be “fit for purpose” to meet today’s global challenges.
- Call for inclusivity: He advocated for expanded permanent representation, especially for Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and encouraged discussions on limiting the use of veto power.
- Human-centered appeal: Guterres reminded ambassadors that the Council’s decisions affect real lives “parents who have lost children, refugees flung far from home, soldiers who have sacrificed limbs.” He urged members to honor the hopes of the living, not just the ghosts of the past.
- Historic symbolism: He recounted the story of Paul Antonio, a New York mechanic who built the first Security Council ballot box in 1946 and left a note inside: “May God be with every member… and through your noble efforts bring lasting peace to us all.” Guterres used this anecdote to underscore the moral responsibility of Council members.
Diverse member perspectives:
- Russia praised the UN’s legacy but criticized Western powers for dividing the world into “democracies and autocracies,” citing past interventions as destabilizing.
- Guyana called the Council “unrepresentative” and pushed for permanent seats for Africa and Latin America, plus rotating seats for small island states.
- United States focused on accountability and merit-based leadership, urging reform of the Secretary-General selection process and calling the UN a “bloated bureaucracy” in need of clearer mandates.
Guterres concluded with a plea: “Make this chamber worthy of the hopes of every man, woman, and child.”
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