World on the brink: UN chief warns of global ‘powder keg’

Wars are raging, and no one knows how they will end, while nuclear threats and new weapons cast a dark shadow. We are approaching the unimaginable, a powder keg that will consume the entire world, said UN Secretary-General António Guterres during the annual debate in New York.

During the opening general debate at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern about the world's current state. He stated that the world is on the brink of disaster, describing it as a "powder keg" and noting that "we are heading towards the unimaginable."

The war in Ukraine is spreading without any signs of ending. Civilians are paying the price with growing numbers of dead, shattered lives and communities. It is time for a just peace based on the United Nations Charter, international law, and UN resolutions, said Guterres, opening the annual debate of world leaders.

In his speech, Guterres called for a comprehensive reform of the UN system, emphasizing that more and more countries "feel [..] that they can trample on international law." He also addressed the issue of violating international human rights conventions and ignoring the decisions of international tribunals.

They feel they can ignore international human rights conventions or the decisions of international tribunals. That they can thumb their noses at international humanitarian law, invade other countries, devastate entire societies, or completely disregard the well-being of their own nation, and nothing will happen to them, he continued.

In his speech, he painted a grim picture of the world situation.

We are in an era of great transformation, facing challenges we have never seen before, challenges that require global solutions. And yet, geopolitical divisions are deepening. The planet continues to warm. Wars are raging, and no one knows how they will end, while nuclear threats and new weapons cast a dark shadow. We are approaching the unimaginable, a powder keg that will consume the entire world, he warned.

However, Guterres assured that global problems are solvable if countries decide to cooperate, end impunity, and carry out UN system reforms. He mentioned, among other things, the need to include African countries as permanent members of the UN Security Council.