Global cooperation on deathwatch: UN chief warns of ‘powerful forces’ in play

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stark warning regarding the “powerful forces” that are in play to undermine global cooperation.

Speaking at London’s Methodist Central Hall, the venue of the first-ever UN General Assembly session 80 years ago, Guterres delivered a historic speech to mark the organization’s 80th anniversary.

During the speech, the UN chief shed light on several modern threats that are responsible for challenging global unity. These forces include the climate crisis, the rise of competitive yet unregulated AI landscape, destructive global arms race, and surging defense spending.

According to Guterres, global military spending reached a staggering $2.7 trillion last year.

The secretary general, whose tenure will end in 2026, said: “Last year, global military spending reached $2.7tn – over 200 times the UK’s current aid budget, or equivalent to over 70% of Britain’s entire economy.”

“As the planet broke heat records, fossil fuel profits continued to surge. And in cyberspace, algorithms rewarded falsehoods, fuelled hatred, and provided authoritarians with powerful tools of control,” he added.

Guterres also lamented a growing sense of impunity where powerful leaders and countries are exhibiting a zero-sum mentality, thereby putting global cooperation on a deathwatch.

He also urged the countries to shed unilateral mentality and adopt multilateralism to safeguard international law and unity.