LONDON: UN chief Antonio Guterres on Saturday deplored a host of “powerful forces lining up to undermine global cooperation” in a London speech marking the 80th anniversary of the first UN General Assembly.

Guterres, whose term as secretary general ends on Dec 31 this year, delivered the warning at the Methodist Central Hall in London, where representatives from 51 countries met on Jan 10, 1946, for the General Assembly’s first session.

They met in London because the UN headquarters in New York had not yet been built. Guterres paid tribute to Britain for its decisive role in the creation of the United Nations and for continuing to champion it. But he said 2025 had been a “profoundly challenging year for international cooperation and the values of the UN”.

“We see powerful forces lining up to undermine global cooperation,” he said, adding: “Despite these rough seas, we sail ahead.” Guterres cited a new treaty on marine biological diversity as an example of continued progress.

World body’s 80th anniversary commemorated at Methodist Central Hall in London, where representatives from 51 countries met on Jan 10, 1946

The treaty establishes the first legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine diversity in the two-thirds of oceans beyond national limits.

“These quiet victories of international cooperation — the wars prevented, the famine averted, the vital treaties secured — do not always make the headlines,” he said. “Yet they are real. And they matter.”

A “robust, responsive and well-resourced multilateral” system is needed to address the world’s interconnected challenges, Mr Guterres urged, but the “values of multilateralism are being chipped away.”

The secretary general gave the example of a landmark international agreement to protect marine life in international waters and the seabed, which comes into force on Saturday, as a “model of modern diplomacy, led by science, with the participation not just of governments, but of civil society, Indigenous Peoples and local communities.”

“These quiet victories of international cooperation — the wars prevented, the famine averted, the vital treaties secured — do not always make the headlines. Yet they are real. And they matter. If we wish to secure more such victories, we must ensure the full respect of international law and defend multilateralism, strengthening it for our times.”

As he addressed the London audience, the secretary general expressed his “gratitude to the United Kingdom for its decisive role in creating the United Nations,” and for being “such a strong pillar of multilateralism and champion of the United Nations today.”

High stakes for a better world

Looking towards the future, the secretary General called for an international system that reflects the modern world, including reforming international financial systems and the Security Council.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2026