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In his final annual priorities address, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a blunt warning that the world is drifting into “chaos,” urging governments to recommit to the U.N. Charter and anchor their actions in “peace with justice” as conflicts, inequality and climate risks intensify.

As Washington moves to withdraw from multiple U.N. bodies and withhold funding, the daily U.N. press briefing turns into a tense exchange, revealing a press corps increasingly willing to challenge the limits of multilateralism, accountability, and the Secretary-General’s authority in a rapidly fragmenting world order.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the world is entering the new year amid rising conflict, climate breakdown, and deepening divisions, urging leaders to shift priorities away from military spending and toward peace, development, and climate action. He said global military outlays have reached record levels as humanitarian and development needs continue to grow.

The UN Secretary-General’s 2025 travel record reads less like ceremonial diplomacy and more like a map of global stress points. From conflict zones to humanitarian hubs, constant movement reflects a multilateral system struggling to contain crises rather than resolve them.

At UN Headquarters, Secretary-General António Guterres and African Union Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf held a joint press conference marking the conclusion of the 9th AU–UN Annual Conference. In response to ATN’s Ahmed Fathi, Youssouf rejected allegations of genocide in Nigeria, while Guterres called for stronger protection of journalists and humanitarian workers, labeling them “the world’s two most dangerous professions.”

As the United Nations turns 80, Secretary-General António Guterres is pushing the most ambitious reform plan in decades — cutting budgets, merging agencies, and streamlining mandates to rescue an overstretched system. His UN80 Initiative aims to make the UN “fit for today’s challenges,” but Member States — led by the United States — will ultimately decide whether this reset saves multilateralism or dismantles it.