Politics
Guterres blames major powers for Security Council 'paralysis', urges reform ahead of General Assembly
September 16, 2026 at 07:30 PM
Coverage
2 reports · 1 in Arabic, 1 in English · over 2 hours
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his final press conference before the General Assembly, called for Security Council reform and demanded de-escalation, Middle East peace, and restored freedom of navigation.
- Guterres called Security Council reform "an absolute priority," saying major powers that violate international law while sitting on the Council have paralyzed the body.
- He called for restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, naming Middle East de-escalation a top priority and urging parties to stop harming civilians.
- Guterres said Middle East peace requires resolving the Palestinian-Israeli crisis and a two-state solution, demanding an end to the gradual annexation of the West Bank.
- Guterres said he would facilitate trilateral Ukraine peace talks at the General Assembly if key parties agree, calling a Ukraine ceasefire "absolutely essential."