Guterres Warns Powerful Forces Undermining Global Cooperation

UN chief Antonio Guterres. Photo: Collected

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday warned that growing “powerful forces” are working to undermine global cooperation, calling the current moment one of the most challenging periods for the values of the United Nations.
Speaking in London at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the first UN General Assembly, Guterres said international cooperation was under strain but insisted progress remained possible despite mounting pressures.
The speech was delivered at the Methodist Central Hall, the historic venue where representatives from 51 countries gathered on January 10, 1946, for the UN General Assembly’s inaugural session, held in London as the organisation’s New York headquarters had yet to be built.
Guterres, whose term as secretary-general ends on December 31 this year, paid tribute to Britain for its key role in establishing the United Nations and for its continued support of the organisation.
Describing 2025 as a “profoundly challenging year” for multilateralism, he said forces opposed to cooperation were becoming increasingly visible. “Despite these rough seas, we sail ahead,” he added.
As an example of continued progress, Guterres highlighted a new treaty on marine biological diversity, which creates the first legal framework to conserve and sustainably use marine life in the two-thirds of the world’s oceans beyond national jurisdictions.
“These quiet victories of international cooperation — the wars prevented, the famines averted, the vital treaties secured — do not always make the headlines,” he said. “Yet they are real. And they matter.”