UN Secretary-General warns of an unpredictable world in chaos

In his final annual address outlining his priorities, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the world is “brimming with conflict, impunity, inequality and unpredictability” as international cooperation is fraying at the moment it is most needed.

Addressing the General Assembly on January 15, Guterres said the global system was under unprecedented strain from wars, division, climate breakdown and the erosion of respect for international law.

As he embarks on his final year in office, Guterres was blunt about what he described as the visible erosion of international law. “The erosion of international law is not happening in the shadows. It is unfolding before the eyes of the world, on our screens, live in 4K,” he said.

He pointed to attacks on civilians and humanitarian workers, unconstitutional changes of government, silencing of dissent, trampling of human rights and plundering of resources.

Guterres also highlighted the challenges of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, cautioning that algorithms shaping public life must not be controlled by just a handful of companies. “We must ensure humanity steers technology, not the other way around,” he said. In his address, Guterres said the UN would “in the next few weeks” launch the Independent Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence to provide impartial, evidence-based assessments of AI’s opportunities, risks and impacts.

Warning of the growing concentration of wealth and power, Guterres said the ultra-wealthy and the companies they control are calling the shots and “wielding outsized influence over economies, information and even the rules that govern us all”.

Noting that the “top one percent” holds 43 percent of global financial assets, he cautioned of the influence such a stronghold could bring. “When a handful of individuals can bend global narratives, sway elections or dictate the terms of public debate, we are not just facing inequality – we are facing the corruption of institutions and our shared values.”

Speaking of international conflicts and the current situation in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, Guterres said peace could not be achieved by simply “silencing the guns” but by addressing the root causes otherwise any solution would be precarious.

On climate change, the Secretary-General warned that a world in climate chaos “cannot be a world at peace,” stressing that while a temporary overshoot 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 scaled-up climate finance.

The Secretary-General also underscored the need for reform of global institutions, including international financial bodies and the United Nations’ own Security Council, arguing that “1945 problem-solving will not solve 2026 problems.”