UN Chief Warns of Dysfunctional Global Governance, Calls for Urgent Reform Amid "Power Over Law" Crisis

On January 29, 2026, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning at his first major press conference of his final year in office, declaring that "the law of power is prevailing over the power of law" and that international cooperation is eroding. He stressed that the current global problem-solving systems, still reflecting the economic and power structures of 80 years ago, are obsolete in a world marked by the rise of emerging economies and expanded South-South cooperation.

Guterres analogized the situation to Newton's third law, where reckless geopolitical actions are provoking dangerous reactions, amplified by divisions and an "epidemic of impunity". He asserted that global challenges cannot be solved by one power calling the shots or by rival spheres of influence, advocating instead for reformed multilateral institutions and an accelerated transition towards a "networked and inclusive" multipolarity. This statement, a pointed critique of intensified major-power rivalry and weakened multilateralism, sets the tone for his 2026 agenda focused on overhauling the global governance architecture.