UN Chief urges reform of global institutions for a multipolar world at BRICS Summit

UN Secretary-General António Guterres told leaders at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Sunday that today's world looks very different from 1945, and that global institutions need to change with it.

He said the world is moving toward multipolarity, which can bring more balance to global systems — but only if bodies like the UN Security Council and the Bretton Woods institutions are reformed. He tied this to the Summit's theme of resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. He then raised four priorities.

Financing: 

Developing countries are mobilizing more of their own resources, he said, but still need much more international support to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. He called for developing countries to get a bigger say in the global financial system, for development banks to grow and unlock more private investment, and for better debt relief for poorer nations.

AI: 

Guterres said artificial intelligence could compress decades of progress into just a few years, but warned its power is concentrated in a handful of companies and countries. Left unchecked, he said, this would widen gaps in income, opportunity, security and sovereignty. He thanked BRICS nations for backing the UN's new AI Scientific Panel and Global Dialogue on AI Governance, and asked for support for two new funds meant to give developing countries the computing power, data and skills they currently lack.

Climate:

Pointing to worsening heat, floods, wildfires and glacier melt, he said the world will soon pass the 1.5°C limit and must keep that overshoot as small and short as possible. That means moving faster away from fossil fuels, cutting methane, and protecting nature. He repeated calls for rich countries to deliver on existing climate finance promises — $300 billion a year, tripled adaptation funding, and more support for loss and damage — and said there had been "enough plundering" of critical minerals from developing countries.

Peace:

Citing Gaza, the wider Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan, Guterres called on all countries to respect the UN Charter and international law, including sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the peaceful settlement of disputes. He closed by saying all countries share responsibility for strengthening a multilateral system, with the UN at its centre, that works for everyone.

During his two day visit to India, the Secretary-General also met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

While speaking to an Indian newspaper, Guterres said the UN Security Council is paralysed and warned that the world’s major powers have not recognised the limits of their power. 

During his visit the Secretary-General also interacted with the UN Country Team in India to discuss the UN’s work and priorities in the country.

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