UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a stark warning to world leaders on Tuesday, stating that impunity, inequality, and escalating global risks are driving the world toward an unsustainable future. As the annual UN General Assembly debate began, Guterres said, “We can’t go on like this,” citing deepening geopolitical divides, ongoing wars, climate change, and the development of dangerous new weapons.

The Secretary-General emphasised that humanity is “edging towards the unimaginable” and described the world as a “powder keg” with the potential to engulf everyone. Yet, he also asserted that the global challenges are solvable, provided nations address rampant uncertainty, inequality, and impunity, which are undermining international law and the UN’s founding principles.

Guterres’ remarks came as conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan persist, while the threat of a larger war looms in the Middle East. He also previewed key topics from the UN’s “Summit of the Future,” including how geopolitical divides, nuclear threats, and climate change are destabilising the global security system.

Biden’s Likely Final UN Address

Tuesday’s assembly also marked what is likely US President Joe Biden’s final major appearance on the global stage. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, representing the U.S., highlighted that the nation’s focus will be on ending global conflicts, noting that 2 billion people live in areas affected by war. “The most vulnerable around the world are counting on us to make progress, to make change, to bring about a sense of hope for them,” she said.

World Leaders Speak Amid Escalating Tensions

Several prominent leaders addressed the Assembly on the opening day, including Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian. The Iranian president accused Israel of escalating tensions in the Middle East, pointing to alleged Israeli provocations in Lebanon and the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran earlier in the year.

Reaffirming the UN Charter’s Principles

David Miliband, President of the International Rescue Committee, invoked the UN’s founding principles, urging world leaders to reject the “might makes right” mentality and reaffirm the values enshrined in the UN Charter. Addressing the worsening global humanitarian crises and unchecked conflicts, Miliband challenged leaders, asking, “How will you strengthen, not weaken, the principles of the UN Charter for the next 80 years?”

The Assembly’s annual meeting, which will run until September 30, follows the Summit of the Future, where leaders adopted the “Pact for the Future.” This blueprint calls for urgent global cooperation on major challenges such as climate change, artificial intelligence, and women’s rights. Guterres urged leaders to take real action following the pact’s adoption, stating, “We are here to bring multilateralism back from the brink.”

Focus on Key Conflicts

This year’s assembly will spotlight the war in Gaza, the escalating conflict on the Israeli-Lebanon border, and the war in Ukraine. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are scheduled to speak on Thursday, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address both the General Assembly and a high-level UN Security Council meeting.