Statement
Statement summary
Opening the general debate of the eightieth session of the General Assembly, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres recalled that the creation of the Organization was a conscious decision for cooperation over chaos, law over lawlessness, peace over conflict. Warning that the world has “entered in an age of reckless disruption and relentless human suffering”, he challenged world leaders to choose a future: “A world of raw power — or a world of laws. A world that is a scramble for self-interest — or a world where nations come together.”
Outlining “five critical choices”, he urged Member States to choose peace rooted in international law. “Impunity is the mother of chaos — and it has spawned some of the most atrocious conflicts of our times,” he warned. In Sudan, civilians are being slaughtered, starved and silenced, he said, underscoring the importance of ending the external support that is fuelling the bloodshed. Commending recent diplomatic efforts by the United States and other countries to end the war in Ukraine, he called for a full ceasefire and a just, lasting peace. “In Gaza, the horrors are approaching a third monstrous year,” he observed, citing “a scale of death and destruction beyond any other conflict” in his years as Secretary-General. He reiterated his condemnation of the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023 and the taking of hostages, while underscoring that “nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people and the systematic destruction of Gaza”. He called for the full and immediate implementation of the International Court of Justice measures, a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and humanitarian access. “And we must not relent in the only viable answer to sustainable Middle East peace: a two-State solution,” he stated.
Stressing that “human rights are not an ornament of peace — they are its bedrock”, he said they require everyday battle and political will. The fuel to achieve them through the shared road map of the Sustainable Development Goals needs financing to fuel it, but aid cuts are wreaking havoc. “To choose dignity, we must choose financial justice and solidarity,” he said, calling for reform of the international financial architecture. On climate change, Mr. Guterres warned that “the window is closing” to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C by the end of this century. “We need stepped-up action and ambition — especially through strengthened national climate plans,” he said, stressing that the Group of 20 (G20) — the biggest emitters — must lead. He called for scaled-up climate finance, including a credible road map to mobilize $1.3 trillion annually for developing countries by 2035, doubling adaptation finance to $40 billion this year, and full capitalization of the Loss and Damage Fund. Addressing the impact of technology, he said: “Technology must be our servant — not our master.” Welcoming the Assembly’s decision to establish an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence and an annual Global Dialogue on AI Governance, he cautioned against unregulated use of artificial intelligence (AI): “No company should be above the law. No machine should decide who lives or dies.”
To meet all these goals, Mr. Guterres said, the international community must choose to strengthen the United Nations for the twenty-first century. Describing as “indefensible” the fact that for every dollar invested to build peace, the world spends 750 dollars on weapons of war, he emphasized: “In this moment of crisis, the United Nations has never been more essential.” “Together, let us choose to invest in a United Nations that adapts, innovates and is empowered to deliver for people everywhere,” he said. Concluding, the Secretary-General urged Member States to act decisively: “In a world of many choices, there is one choice we must never make: the choice to give up. We must never give up. For peace. For dignity. For justice. For humanity."
The UN Secretary-General opened the General Assembly high-level debate with a stark message: the world is awash with overlapping crises – from wars and humanitarian emergencies to climate breakdown – and leaders must decide now “what kind of world we choose to build together.”
*****
>> Read also the UN News stories in Hindi, Kiswahili, Portuguese and Urdu about the declaration made by the Secretary-General at the General Debate.
*****
Each September, heads of state and government gather in New York for high-level week, where leaders present their global priorities. The Secretary-General’s opening address traditionally sets the tone.
This year, as the UN marks its 80th anniversary, António Guterres recalled the institution’s founding after World War Two, when nations created the United Nations “as a practical strategy for the survival of humanity.”
“Eighty years on – we confront again the question our founders faced – only more urgent, more intertwined, more unforgiving,” he told delegates.
A world under siege
The UN chief described a landscape marked by violence, hunger, and climate disaster.
“We have entered an age of reckless disruption and relentless human suffering,” he said, warning that the “pillars of peace and progress are buckling under the weight of impunity, inequality, and indifference.”
He cited military invasions, weaponised hunger, disinformation silencing truth, smoke rising from bombed-out cities, anger tearing at the social fabric, and seas swallowing whole coastlines.
Each was a warning – and a question about the choices governments now face.
The UN matters
Against this backdrop, Mr. Guterres argued that the UN remains indispensable.
“At its best, the United Nations is more than a meeting place, it is a moral compass, a force for peace…a guardian of international law and a lifeline for people in crisis.”
He noted that today’s multipolar world could bring dynamism, but without cooperation it risks instability.
“Multipolarity without effective multilateral institutions courts chaos – as Europe learned the hard way resulting in World War One,” he said.
International cooperation, he insisted, is not naïve but a necessity.
“No country can stop a pandemic alone. No army can halt rising temperatures. No algorithm can rebuild trust once it is broken.” It is, he said, “hard-headed pragmatism” in the face of shared global threats.
In this moment of crisis, the United Nations has never been more essential, the Secretary-General stressed.
“The world needs our unique legitimacy. Our convening power. Our vision to unite nations, bridge divides, and confront the challenges before us.”
Five urgent choices
The Secretary-General set out “five critical choices” for governments:
Peace over war: Conflicts from Sudan to Ukraine to Gaza show the cost of ignoring international law. “The Charter is not optional. It is our foundation,” he said, urging ceasefires, accountability, and diplomacy.
Dignity and rights: Human rights are “the bedrock of peace,” he continued. Protecting civic freedoms must go hand in hand with development finance so countries can invest in health, education, and opportunity.
Climate justice: “Fossil fuels are a losing bet,” he declared, urging faster investment in renewables, stronger national climate pledges, and more finance for vulnerable nations. “Science says limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees is still possible…but the window is closing.”
Technology for humanity: Artificial intelligence and other tools must be governed responsibly. “No machine should decide who lives or dies,” he said, calling for global standards to keep technology in service of people.
A stronger UN: With crises multiplying, Mr. Guterres said the UN must adapt and Member States must fund it properly. He criticized the imbalance where “for every dollar invested in building peace, the world spends $750 on weapons of war.”
‘We must never give up’
Mr. Guterres ended on a personal note, recalling growing up “in the darkness of dictatorship, where fear silenced voices and hope was nearly crushed.
That experience coming of age in post-authoritarian Portugal, taught him that “real power rises from people – from our shared resolve to uphold dignity.”
His overriding message was simple: leaders cannot surrender to despair.
“In a world of many choices, there is one choice we must never make: the choice to give up. We must never give up,” he vowed. “That is my promise to you.”
Full statement
Read the full statement, in PDF format.
Photo
Previous sessions
Access the statements from previous sessions.