Activities of Secretary-General in United Kingdom, 16-18 January
On Friday, 16 January, the United Nations Secretary-General arrived in London to take part in the eightieth anniversary of the first meeting of the UN General Assembly in London in 1946. In the early afternoon, the Secretary-General met with Sir Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London. They discussed the role of cities in dealing with climate change.
Later that afternoon, the Secretary-General met with Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Mr. Guterres thanked the Prime Minister for the United Kingdoms’ continued support to multilateralism and its active role in the United Nations. They discussed the war in Ukraine, Sudan, the Middle East and UN reform. Later, the Secretary-General and the Prime Minister held a joint press encounter.
On Saturday, 17 January, the Secretary-General delivered the keynote address at the UNA-UK (United Nations Association of the United Kingdom) Conference, titled “UNGA at 80: From 1946 to Our Future”. This took place at Methodist Central Hall in London, where the first meeting of the General Assembly took place in 1946. In his remarks, the Secretary-General said that as we wish to make the world fairer, it is critical that the international system reflects today’s reality. Mr. Guterres said that we must ensure full respect for international law and defend multilateralism and strengthen it for our times. The Secretary-General pushed for reform of the UN system to reflect the world of 2026 and not 1946. He said, “As global centres of power shift, we have the potential to build a future that is either fairer or more unstable.” He added that it is manifestly in the interests of those who hold the most power to be on the front lines of reform. He warned that those trying to cling to privileges today risk paying the price tomorrow.
Later that day, the Secretary-General was hosted by the Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, during which they discussed a wide range of issues, including Ukraine, Sudan and UN reform.
The Secretary-General left London on Sunday, 18 January.