The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has renewed his call for urgent reforms to the UN Security Council, stressing that the current structure no longer reflects today’s global realities and allows powerful states to act with impunity.
Speaking at a press briefing at the end of his official visit to Japan, which marks 70 years of cooperation with the UN, Guterres said the global system for decision-making—particularly the Security Council and international financial institutions—has become increasingly ineffective in addressing modern global challenges.
He reiterated his long-standing position that reform of the Security Council is essential, describing it as the most important step needed to restore legitimacy and effectiveness in global governance.
The Security Council currently consists of five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—who each hold veto power, along with 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms without veto rights.
Guterres argued that this structure is outdated, noting that Africa and Latin America are not represented among the permanent members, while Asia—despite accounting for nearly half of the world’s population—has only one permanent seat.
He warned that this imbalance creates a “serious problem of legitimacy and effectiveness,” and called for an expansion of both permanent and non-permanent membership to better reflect the current global order.
According to him, the world is facing growing instability driven by conflict, climate pressures, inequality, and rising geopolitical divisions, making multilateral cooperation more urgent than ever.
He also criticised the erosion of international law, saying some countries act with impunity while powerful states use veto authority in ways that undermine accountability.
Guterres emphasised the need for a more balanced and fair multilateral system capable of enforcing international law and promoting global cooperation in an increasingly fragmented world.
