Mazaj News (Web Desk) On Saturday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over “powerful forces lining up to undermine global cooperation” during a speech in London marking the 80th anniversary of the United Nations’ first General Assembly.
Guterres, whose term as secretary-general concludes on December 31, delivered the address at Methodist Central Hall in London—the very venue where representatives from 51 countries gathered on January 10, 1946, for the UN General Assembly’s inaugural session. At the time, New York’s UN headquarters had not yet been built.
The secretary-general commended the United Kingdom for its pivotal role in establishing the United Nations and for continuing to advocate for its mission. However, he noted that 2025 had been an especially “challenging year for international cooperation and the values of the UN.”
“We see powerful forces lining up to undermine global cooperation,” Guterres said, adding, “Despite these rough seas, we sail ahead.” He highlighted the recent treaty on marine biological diversity as a sign of progress, which provides the first international legal framework for conserving and sustainably using marine life in the two-thirds of oceans beyond national jurisdictions.
“These quiet victories of international cooperation—the wars prevented, the famines averted, the essential treaties secured—don’t always make headlines,” he remarked. “Yet they are real, and they matter.”
Guterres emphasized the need for a “robust, responsive, and well-resourced multilateral system” to tackle the world’s interconnected challenges. He warned that the “values of multilateralism are being chipped away.”
He pointed to the landmark agreement protecting marine life in international waters and on the seabed, which came into effect on Saturday, as an example of “modern diplomacy guided by science, involving not just governments, but civil society, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities.”
“These quiet achievements—the wars avoided, famine prevented, vital treaties secured—may not make headlines, but they are substantial. To ensure more such victories, we must uphold international law fully and defend multilateralism, strengthening it for our era,” he said.
Guterres also expressed his gratitude to the United Kingdom for its decisive role in creating the UN and for remaining a strong pillar of multilateralism today.
Looking ahead, he called for an international system that reflects the realities of the modern world, including reforms to international financial systems and the UN Security Council.