Guterres Warns of 'Creeping Annexation,' Demands AI Guardrails in Final Pre-UNGA Address

In what may be the most consequential press conference of his decade-long tenure, UN Secretary-General António Guterres used his final pre-General Assembly address to issue blunt warnings about the Middle East, artificial intelligence, and a Security Council he said has created a world where "every country feels entitled to do whatever they want" with impunity. With more than 140 bilateral meetings expected during High-Level Week, Guterres's agenda-setting remarks aimed to channel global attention toward de-escalation, accountability, and governance reform at a moment of cascading crises.

• Guterres makes Middle East de-escalation his top three priorities — demands full implementation of the Gaza peace plan and warns a new settlement could divide the West Bank in two

• Secretary-General calls for international AI guardrails, rejects voluntary pauses as insufficient, and rebuffs Trump's characterization of AI safety as a "hoax"

• Security Council blasted as "paralyzed" by members who themselves violate international law, creating global impunity

• Countries arming Sudan's warring parties must face accountability, Guterres says, citing the Security Council's own panel of experts

• Climate tipping points are imminent, the Secretary-General warns, arguing economics and security both favor rapid transition to renewables

• Guterres calls Taliban restrictions on women "absolutely intolerable" and condemns Iran's use of the death penalty

The Middle East dominated Guterres's opening remarks and the lengthy question-and-answer session that followed, drawing the most sustained engagement from the international press corps.