Guterres calls for UN reform and permanent African Security Council representation
In his final annual UN General Assembly address on 22 September 2026, António Guterres urged institutional reform and called Africa’s exclusion from permanent Security Council representation indefensible.
In short
- In his final annual UN General Assembly address on 22 September 2026, António Guterres urged institutional reform and called Africa’s exclusion from permanent Security Council representation indefensible.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for reform of international institutions on 22 September 2026, arguing that major powers cannot resolve global crises alone and that Africa’s exclusion from permanent representation on the Security Council is indefensible.
Addressing the General Assembly in New York, Guterres said the distribution of global power had changed while institutions remained tied to an earlier era. He urged governments to strengthen cooperation through a more representative United Nations, according to The Guardian’s account of the speech.
His appeal linked institutional reform to mounting pressures from conflict, climate change, inequality and artificial intelligence. Guterres warned against the world dividing into rival blocs with separate economic, technological and security systems, and highlighted the growing influence of private companies over public life.
He also called for civilian protection and humanitarian access in the Middle East and renewed his criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The address was his final annual General Assembly speech as secretary-general. Its central argument was that military, economic and technological strength each have limits, making international cooperation essential.
