The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has issued a stark warning that the United States is acting with impunity and believes its power matters more than international law. In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Guterres said Washington has a “clear conviction” that multilateral solutions are irrelevant, and what matters is “the exercise of the power and influence of the United States and sometimes in this respect by the norms of international law”.
Guterres’ comments come amid growing concerns over the US’s unilateral actions, including the recent seizure of Venezuela’s president and threats to annex Greenland. The UN chief believes the founding principles of the organisation, such as the equality of member states, are now under threat.
President Trump has previously been critical of the UN, questioning its purpose and claiming he had “ended seven unendable wars” on his own, without the UN’s help. Guterres acknowledged that the UN is struggling to make member states abide by international laws, as the “big powers have stronger leverage”.
The UN Secretary-General also criticised the UN Security Council, stating that it no longer represents the world and is “ineffective”. He called for reforms to the council’s composition and limits on veto power to “regain legitimacy” and “give voice to the whole world”.
Guterres warned of a world “brimming with conflict, impunity, inequality and unpredictability”, and identified “brazen violations of international law” as one of the biggest challenges facing the global order. He cited the ongoing conflict in Gaza as an example, where the UN was prevented from distributing aid due to Israeli restrictions.
Despite the challenges, Guterres remains positive, urging the international community to confront the powerful in order to build a better world. As his term as UN Secretary-General comes to an end, Guterres’ warnings about the erosion of international law under US dominance will likely resonate with those concerned about the future of global governance.
