UN Chief Guterres: Prioritizing Peace in Final Year
- 2026 is already shaping up to be a year of constant surprises and chaos, the UN Secretary-General told journalists in New York.
- The Secretary-general, who trained as a physicist, said he returns to fixed principles during times of profound change.
- "As we begin this year, we are persistent to choose actions that generate concrete and positive reactions," he said.
2026 is already shaping up to be a year of constant surprises and chaos, the UN Secretary-General told journalists in New York. Read the full transcript here.
Generating ‘positive reactions’
The Secretary-general, who trained as a physicist, said he returns to fixed principles during times of profound change. He cited Newton’s Third Law of Motion – for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction – as a guiding principle.
“As we begin this year, we are persistent to choose actions that generate concrete and positive reactions,” he said. “Reactions of peace, of justice, of responsibility, and of progress in our troubled times.”
Chain reaction
Impunity fuels conflicts, escalating tensions and allowing outside interference. Cutting humanitarian aid is also creating a “chain reaction of despair, displacement, and death,” as inequalities worsen.
he highlighted climate change as a clear example of Newton’s principle, explaining that actions heating the planet trigger storms, wildfires, hurricanes, drought, and rising sea levels.
Power shift
The world is witnessing a major transfer of power from governments to private tech companies. “When technologies that shape behavior, elections, markets, and even conflicts operate without guardrails, the reaction is not innovation, it is instability,” he warned.