UN Secretary-General Guterres delivers final address to General Assembly

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered his final address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday in New York. The former Portuguese prime minister, who concludes his second five-year term on December 31, used the platform to outline the core priorities that have defined his decade of leadership: the necessity of ending global conflicts, the urgent requirement for climate action, and the imperative to overhaul international institutions to better address mounting global challenges.

A significant portion of his address focused on the governance of artificial intelligence. Guterres called for international cooperation on AI oversight, urging leading nations—specifically the United States and China—to share security risk data and establish common safety testing protocols. This call precedes an upcoming UN Security Council briefing on the technology, which is expected to include participation from senior industry executives. Furthermore, he reaffirmed his support for a two-state solution regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The event took place amidst a gathering of nearly 130 world leaders, though notable absences included the presidents of China, South Africa, India, and Germany. Guterres's legacy-focused speech emphasized the growing gridlock within UN structures, arguing that the current international framework is struggling to adapt to the complexities of modern technological and geopolitical crises.