António Guterres warns of West Bank ethnic cleansing and attacks oil profits at UN Assembly

Middle East and global conflicts

Guterres opened the general debate of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, speaking before dozens of assembled heads of state and government leaders. The outgoing secretary-general warned that violence, population displacement, and settlement expansion carried out by Israel in the occupied West Bank are destroying prospects for regional peace. He warned that these actions allow the spectre of ethnic cleansing to emerge across the territory. Guterres demanded that all parties adhere strictly to international law and comply with binding rulings issued by the International Court of Justice. He insisted that the international community must actively prevent the collapse of diplomatic frameworks in the region.

We cannot let the two-State solution disappear before our eyes.

Fossil fuels and climate finance

The secretary-general also focused on global climate disruptions ahead of a dedicated climate summit scheduled for Wednesday, which precedes the COP31 conference in November. Guterres criticized fossil fuel corporations, stating they treat the atmosphere as an open-air dump while directly profiting from the resulting environmental damage. He noted that the five largest Western oil corporations collected nearly $500 billion in profits following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That total contrasts with the $34 billion mobilized worldwide to assist developing countries with climate adaptation measures. Guterres likened the political and commercial influence of energy corporations to historical strategies employed by the tobacco industry. He called on every national administration to adopt and enforce a domestic phaseout strategy aligned with the 1.5 degree Celsius climate target.

We know that fossil fuel interests will not step back on their own.

Artificial intelligence and superpower governance

Guterres situated the rise of artificial intelligence alongside armed conflicts and climate breakdown as an urgent priority for global governance. He asserted that the primary obligation of sovereign governments is protecting their populations, noting that nations with advanced technical capabilities bear the greatest responsibility toward humanity. The secretary-general specifically urged the United States and China to establish formal channels for dialogue, transparency, and institutional cooperation. The appeal followed discussions held on Sunday in New York between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng regarding a bilateral AI dialogue mechanism. Guterres warned that technological development without oversight, transparency, and accountability threatens to transfer critical decision-making power from humans to automated machines.

Institutional reform and end of mandate

As he approaches the conclusion of his second five-year term at the end of 2026, Guterres reviewed a ten-year trajectory marked by deepening geopolitical divisions, growing economic inequality, and declining trust in multilateral institutions. He addressed active armed conflicts in Sudan, Myanmar, and Ukraine, where civilians face continuous loss of life and thousands suffer displacement every day. The secretary-general also urged comprehensive structural reforms to the UN Security Council, which was established in the aftermath of the Second World War. He characterized the complete absence of a permanent seat for African nations on the council as unjust and indefensible. Guterres concluded that updating the composition of the executive body is essential to reflect the contemporary world and ensure international legitimacy.