BISHKEK, Sept. 3 — UN Secretary-General António Guterres used the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday to press leaders of the Eurasian bloc to help overhaul global governance, arguing that a more multipolar order would strengthen multilateralism and give developing countries a fairer voice. “Our world is increasingly multipolar.
That is a good thing and must be strengthened,” Guterres told the gathering of the SCO, the political, economic and security grouping founded in 2001 that now counts ten member states, including China, India, Pakistan, Russia and several Central Asian nations. He called multipolarity “a condition for justice in global governance and international relations” and “the best support for effective multilateralism.” The secretary-general argued that many international institutions still mirror the geopolitical realities of 1945 even as global power relations have shifted.
“We must reform our multilateral institutions, including the United Nations and the Bretton Woods system, to reflect today’s realities, and increase the representation and influence of developing countries to build a just world order,” he said, adding that he wants a UN that works “at the service of all without double standards in line with the Charter.” He praised the SCO as “an important pillar of multilateralism.” On security, Guterres voiced concern over instability in the Middle East, warning that ceasefires and agreements are repeatedly being violated.
He appealed for maximum restraint and respect for international law, including navigational rights around the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab. On Gaza, he said the ceasefire “must be respected,” called for full implementation of the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, demanded removal of obstacles to humanitarian aid, and renewed calls to end settler attacks and settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.
“There will only be peace with a two-State solution,” he said, envisioning Israel and Palestine as two independent, sovereign, democratic states with Jerusalem/Al Quds as capital of both. Turning to Ukraine, more than four years into the war, Guterres said it is “high time for a full and immediate ceasefire” to open the way to negotiations toward a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in line with international law. He outlined four areas for strengthened UN-SCO cooperation.
On financing for development, he called for reforming the global financial architecture to address unsustainable debt “strangling so many developing countries” and urged multilateral development banks to become “bigger, better and bolder.” On climate, warning the world is on track to exceed the 1.5°C limit, he pressed for rapid emissions cuts, a faster renewable energy transition and greater financial support for developing countries, stressing “Climate action requires climate justice” and “No more plundering” regarding critical minerals.
On artificial intelligence, he said AI must work for all countries, not just a few, requiring effective guardrails and more inclusive governance. On the summit’s margins, Guterres met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
According to the UN chief’s account, he expressed concern over the devastating humanitarian and economic consequences of the conflict in Iran and the region, stressing urgent resolution through dialogue and negotiations with full respect for international law, including navigational rights in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The summit comes as the SCO, one of the world’s largest regional organizations by population and geographic scope, seeks to position itself amid competing visions of world order.
Whether Guterres’s reform push gains traction inside the bloc — where China and Russia hold dominant influence — remains to be seen.
