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UN Secretary-General urges reform, unity and rapid action in final General Assembly address
Summary
In his final traditional address to the General Assembly, the Secretary-General called the global context 'chaos,' urged full adherence to the UN Charter, warned of a $4 trillion SDG financing shortfall, and announced new initiatives on AI governance and institutional reform.
The Secretary-General told the United Nations General Assembly on Friday that the world is "brimming with conflict, impunity, inequality, and unpredictability" and urged Member States to recommit to the UN Charter and to urgent institutional reforms.
"Today, I do so for the final time, and let me assure you that I will make every day of 2026 count," the Secretary-General said at the start of his address, and later framed the international situation bluntly: "The context is chaos." He urged that "no ifs, no ands, no buts" be applied to adherence to the Charter and said reform must reflect a changing world.
The speech combined calls for immediate humanitarian action with longer-term institutional changes. The Secretary-General welcomed the "start of phase 2 of the ceasefire announced by the U.S." in Gaza and said humanitarian aid must flow…
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