With global tensions rising and ¡°reckless actions¡± triggering dangerous consequences, Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres?on Thursday called for renewed efforts on peace, justice and sustainable development as he outlined his priorities for 2026 ¨C the final year of his tenure.
2026 ¡°is?already shaping up to be a year of constant surprises and chaos,¡± he?told?journalists in New York.
Mr. Guterres, who trained as a physicist before entering public life, said that during times of profound flux, he returns to fixed principles that explain how forces act.
Generating ¡®positive reactions¡¯
Among them is Newton¡¯s Third Law of Motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
¡°As we begin this year, we are determined to choose actions that generate concrete and positive reactions,¡± he said.
¡°Reactions of peace, of justice, of responsibility, and of progress in our troubled times.¡±
Chain reaction
Today, impunity is driving conflicts ¨C fueling escalation, widening mistrust, and allowing powerful spoilers to enter from every direction.
¡°Meanwhile,?the slashing of humanitarian aid is generating its own chain reactions of despair, displacement, and death,¡± as inequalities deepen.
He highlighted?climate change?¨C ¡°the most literal and devastating illustration of Newton¡¯s principle¡± ¨C as actions that heat the planet trigger storms, wildfires, hurricanes, drought, and rising seas.
Power shift
The world is also witnessing ¡°perhaps the?greatest transfer of power of our times,¡± namely, from governments to private tech companies.
¡°When technologies that shape behaviour, elections, markets, and even conflicts operate without guardrails, the reaction is not innovation, it is instability,¡± he warned.
Hegemony is not the answer
These challenges are happening as systems for global problem-solving continue to reflect the economic and power structures of 80 years ago, and this must change.
¡°Our structures and institutions must reflect the complexity ¨C and the opportunity ¨C of these new times and realities,¡± he said.
¡°Global problems will not be solved by one power calling the shots. Nor will they be solved by two powers carving the world into rival spheres of influence.¡±
He stressed the importance of accelerating multipolarity ¨C ¡°one that is networked, inclusive by design, and capable of creating balance through partnerships¡± ¨C but it alone does not guarantee stability or peace.
¡°For multipolarity to generate equilibrium, prosperity, and peace, we need strong multilateral institutions where legitimacy is rooted in shared responsibility and shared values,¡± he said.
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