UN chief Guterres cautions against ‘powerful forces’ undermining global cooperation

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday warned that “powerful forces” are working to undermine global cooperation, speaking in London at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the first UN General Assembly.

Addressing the gathering at Methodist Central Hall — the site of the Assembly’s inaugural session on January 10, 1946 — Guterres recalled that representatives from 51 countries met in London because the UN headquarters in New York had not yet been built.

With his term ending on December 31 this year, Guterres paid tribute to Britain for its decisive role in the creation of the United Nations and for its continued support of the organisation.

However, he described 2025 as a “profoundly 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.”

As an example of continued progress, he cited a new treaty on marine biological diversity, which establishes the first legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine life in the two-thirds of the world’s oceans that lie beyond national jurisdiction.

“These quiet victories of international cooperation — the wars prevented, the famine averted, the vital treaties secured — do not always make the headlines,” he said. “Yet they are real. And they matter.”