The world risks sliding into confrontation without global institutions that reflect the changing balance of power, says outgoing UN secretary-general António Guterres in conversation with FT foreign editor Alec Russell. Guterres reflects on budget and staffing cuts, and the future of the UN. The 81st session of the UN General Assembly is meeting in New York over September 2026.
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0:00 How UN has changed – Security Council paralysed by US, Russia and China
1:52 Existential threats and action – climate change and AI
4:05 Funding cuts to agencies – ‘more people dying for hunger”
7:01 UN difficult relationship with US Trump administration
9:18 Superpowers need to understand the limits of their power
12:43 The rise of the middle powers and necessity of UN reform
18:23 Role of the secretary general
19:16 Difficulties of mediation – Ukraine and Gaza
24:47 Climate change
27:30 The future of the UN
