Guterres Criticizes US Approach to Global Power and Warns of UN Marginalization

By Staff, Agencies

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has said that the United States places greater value on its own power than on international law, warning that this mindset is undermining multilateral institutions and global cooperation.

Speaking to the BBC in an interview aired on Monday, Guterres responded to dismissive remarks made by US President Donald Trump about the effectiveness and relevance of the United Nations. He acknowledged that the UN lacks the authority to compel powerful states to comply with international law.

“There are those who believe the power of law should be replaced by the law of power,” Guterres said. He added that current US policy reflects a belief that multilateral solutions are unnecessary, with influence and power taking precedence over international legal norms.

Guterres also criticized the UN Security Council, describing it as increasingly ineffective and unrepresentative of today’s world. He pointed to the veto power held by the council’s five permanent members—France, China, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States—as a key obstacle, allowing individual states to block action in pursuit of their own interests.

To restore the council’s legitimacy, Guterres called for reforms that would expand its membership and reduce the use of vetoes, arguing that the body must better reflect global realities and give a voice to the wider international community.

Turning to Gaza, Guterres described the war as one of the UN’s most pressing challenges. He rejected claims that humanitarian aid failures were due to UN inefficiency, stating that aid deliveries were repeatedly obstructed when the "Israeli" entity prevented UN access to Gaza.

“When 'Israel' would not allow us to move into Gaza, we couldn’t move into Gaza,” he said, noting that aid flows increased significantly once a ceasefire was in place.

Guterres further said that hundreds of Palestinians were martyred after the “Israeli” entity supported the involvement of a private contractor, the Gaza Humanitarian Organization, instead of relying on the UN to manage aid distribution.

“We were ready to act, provided we had the necessary conditions,” he said, emphasizing that the UN has the capacity to deliver humanitarian assistance when access and security are guaranteed.