Guterres bids farewell: superpower power 'not so super'

In his final address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Secretary-General António Guterres criticized superpower rivalry, stating that superpowers' power is "not so super" and has limits. Guterres advocated for a networked multipolar world centered on the UN, including permanent African representation on the Security Council, which he called "unjust and indefensible" without it. He outlined four "power tests": war and peace, inequality, climate chaos, and artificial intelligence. He called for silencing guns in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and Myanmar, and urged AI regulation through a UN-based multilateral framework. Guterres also celebrated achieving gender parity in senior UN leadership, and received a standing ovation.