UN's Guterres calls for Security Council reform in his final General Assembly address

UN Secretary-General António Guterres used what is set to be his final General Assembly as chief of the organisation to warn that multilateral cooperation is deteriorating, while calling for reform of the Security Council. His remarks came as the world's attention remains fixed on two dominant conflicts: the war in Ukraine and rising tensions involving Iran.

A day of contrasts in Washington

The previous day had opened with US President Donald Trump threatening to "annihilate" Iran, yet it closed with a three-hour meeting between American and Iranian mediators, which Trump described as "very good." The same day, Trump held high-level talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with both sides expressing a wish to see the war in Ukraine end before winter sets in.

Addresses at the General Assembly

Both Zelensky and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among the leaders addressing the UN General Assembly, as diplomats search for paths to end the two conflicts currently dominating global politics. Guterres's address, delivered in his final year leading the UN, underscored his concerns about the state of international cooperation and his call for structural change at the Security Council.