António Guterres stressed that “global problems will not be solved with a single power giving the orders. Nor will they be resolved with two powers dividing the world into rival spheres of influence.
UN Secretary General António Guterres stated that 2026 is shaping up to be “a year of chaos and surprises” and warned that the Security Council “is the only body that can speak on behalf of everyone on security issues” and “the only one that can authorize the use of force,” referring to the Peace Council of US President Donald Trump.
The Portuguese diplomat, who is facing his last year in office, warned that “the law of power is replacing the power of law” and that there are “multilateral institutions under attack and international cooperation is weakening.”
“Global cooperation systems are outdated, they reflect power structures from more than 80 years ago” at a time when the risk of global conflicts has grown “in the face of the erosion of international law,” he said this Thursday, the 29th, in his traditional press conference at the beginning of the year.
*Read also: What the Peace Council is and how it would work, Trump’s alternative to the UN
Promote peace
«We are promoting peace: a just and sustainable peace, rooted in international law. A peace that addresses the root causes. A peace that lasts beyond the signing of an agreement,” he said.
The UN is also pushing to reform and strengthen the Security Council — “the only body with the authority conferred by the Charter to act on peace and security on behalf of all countries.”
Stating that there is no lasting peace without development, he highlighted measures to accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reform the global financial architecture.
“That includes ending the crushing debt cycle, tripling the lending capacity of multilateral development banks, and ensuring the fair participation and real influence of developing countries in global financial institutions,” he said.
Hegemony is not the answer
The Secretary General stated that these challenges occur while the systems for solving global problems continue to reflect the economic and power structures of 80 years ago, a situation that – he said – must change.
“Our structures and institutions must reflect the complexity and opportunity of these new times and realities,” the official considered.
Likewise, he stressed that “global problems will not be solved with a single power giving the orders. Nor will they be resolved with two powers dividing the world into rival spheres of influence.
He highlighted the importance of accelerating multipolarity – “one that is interconnected, inclusive by design and capable of creating balance through alliances” – but by itself it does not guarantee stability or peace.
“For multipolarity to create balance, prosperity and peace, we need strong multilateral institutions where legitimacy is rooted in shared responsibility and values,” he said.
Trump’s alternative
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, within the framework of the Davos Economic Forum, on January 22, officially launched his proposal for a “Peace Council”, whose ambition is to work towards the resolution of conflicts in the world. The draft letter, disseminated in the media, outlines the contours of an initiative widely controlled by the US president, who would be its most responsible.
The “Peace Council” is presented rather as an alternative to the United Nations, which aspires to resolve conflicts in the world. “The Peace Council is an international organization that aims to promote stability, restore reliable and legitimate governance and ensure lasting peace in regions affected or threatened by conflict,” the preamble reads.
With information from the EFE/United Nations agency
*Journalism in Venezuela is carried out in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments in place to punish the word, especially the laws “against hate”, “against fascism” and “against the blockade.” This content was written taking into consideration the threats and limits that, consequently, have been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
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