Africa: After a Decade, the UN's Antonio Guterres Is Stepping Down. His Legacy Will Be Mixed, At Best
[The Conversation Africa] In his farewell address to the United Nations General Assembly last week, António Guterres reminisced about his time as secretary general.
After a decade as the United Nations' secretary general, António Guterres is retiring, and his legacy is mixed at best. During his tenure, the UN faced numerous challenges, including 65 active armed conflicts, a rise in AI threats, and accelerating climate change. While Guterres managed to broker the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative, promote more women to senior roles, and pursue climate diplomacy, he was unable to end conflicts in Ukraine, Myanmar, Sudan, and Gaza.
Critics argue that he could have done more by visiting crisis points and using his presence as a political signal. The UN faced budget cuts due to the US withholding $4 billion in dues, and the UN80 reform process appears to be more about downsizing than refocusing the organization's moral vision. Hundreds of UN staff lost their jobs, and millions went hungry due to humanitarian funding shortfalls.
Guterres' failure to protect civilians and halt atrocities has been harshly judged by history, leaving the UN more fragile than it has been since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
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