UN at 80: Secretary-General Calls for Stronger Multilateralism Amid Global Crises
The United Nations marked its 80th anniversary with a solemn call from Secretary-General António Guterres to strengthen multilateralism in the face of mounting global crises.
Addressing the General Assembly, the Secretary-General reflected on the UN’s founding and the sacrifices of its earliest staff, many of whom bore visible scars from the Second World War. He recalled the story of Major Brian Urquhart, one of the UN’s first employees, who carried lifelong injuries from combat and yet chose to dedicate his life to peace.
“Peace is the most courageous, the most practical, the most necessary pursuit of all,” Mr. Guterres said, stressing that those who had witnessed the horrors of war understood the value of building an institution dedicated to preventing it.
The Secretary-General warned that the UN’s principles are under attack as conflicts rage in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and other regions. He also highlighted setbacks in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, rising poverty and hunger, and the accelerating climate crisis marked by fires, floods, and extreme heat.
He cautioned that while the world is shifting toward multipolarity, history shows that without strong institutions, such a system risks instability and conflict. “As Europe learned in the First World War, multipolarity without cooperation can lead to catastrophe,” he said.
Mr. Guterres underscored the importance of initiatives such as Agenda 2030, the Pact for the Future, and the UN80 effort, describing them as critical to renewing international cooperation and ensuring the UN remains capable of delivering for people everywhere.
“To meet today’s challenges, we must not only defend the United Nations, we must strengthen it,” he concluded.
