Guterres Warns of 'Deep Uncertainty' as World Leaders Head to UNGA
Ahead of the UN General Assembly, António Guterres called for de-escalation in the Middle East, a ceasefire in Ukraine and coordinated action on AI risks.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said world leaders will gather for this year's General Assembly in what he described as an era of deep uncertainty, stressing that shifting global power means international institutions must adapt without abandoning their founding principles.
Speaking at a news conference at UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday, ahead of the annual gathering of world leaders beginning Tuesday, Guterres said the world is changing and its institutions must change with it — but that updating structures should mean applying core principles with greater determination, not discarding them.
On the Middle East, he said de-escalation must be the overriding priority, calling on all parties to halt actions that harm civilians and to allow humanitarian operations to proceed safely and without obstruction. He said navigational rights and freedoms in and around the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab must be fully restored and respected by all in line with international law, adding that the only path forward is de-escalation, diplomacy and dialogue.
Guterres also said the peace plan for Gaza must be fully implemented with unrestricted humanitarian aid, and that the creeping annexation of the West Bank must stop. There can be no peace in the Middle East without realising the two-state solution, he said.
Turning to Ukraine, now well into the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion, he cited immense civilian suffering and cascading global consequences with no end in sight, and called for an immediate ceasefire as a first step towards a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.
On artificial intelligence, Guterres said the technology holds enormous potential — from accelerating sustainable development and enhancing learning to strengthening health systems and boosting climate resilience — but warned that a growing number of those building it are sounding the alarm that development is outpacing understanding of the risks. Some call for a pause and many for guardrails, he noted, adding that governments must assume their responsibility to protect citizens, including from AI-related threats. National action is essential, he said, but global coordination is indispensable because AI does not stop at borders, and neither do its risks.
Asked about Chinese President Xi Jinping's absence, Guterres said he would of course like him to attend, but noted that Xi had received him a few months earlier and that they had met twice last month. He described Xi as a staunch defender of a world order based on multilateralism with the UN at its centre, and said he was not worried about China's position. On a question about an escalator, he said an inquiry was conducted last year and that additional measures had been taken to prevent negative interactions.
On the Houthis, Guterres said the UN has clearly condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and obstacles to navigation in the Bab al-Mandab, while urging both sides to establish a dialogue to end the dramatic aggravation of the conflict in the Middle East.
He also condemned restrictions on women, saying it is intolerable that women are barred from working at UN premises, that girls' access to education is limited, and that women are not allowed to work except in very specific circumstances.