After a decade, the UN’s Antonio Guterres is stepping down. His legacy will be mixed, at best
The long-standing UN secretary general could have done more to protect the world’s most vulnerable people.
After a decade, the UN's Antonio Guterres is set to step down, leaving behind a mixed legacy. In his farewell address, Guterres reflected on the challenging decade he spent as secretary general, with wars dragging on, civilians targeted, human rights trampled, hunger weaponized, and humanitarians killed. Despite the difficulties, Guterres and the UN faced formidable challenges, with 65 active armed conflicts worldwide, the most since 1946, and two permanent UN Security Council members starting wars in violation of the UN Charter. AI threat and climate change also posed existential risks during his tenure.
Historical comparisons, however, do not favor Guterres. The UN's second leader, Dag Hammarskjöld, established the UN's peacekeeping operations during the Cold War, while Kofi Annan used diplomatic charm to implement significant reforms. Even Ban Ki-moon initiated a "human rights upfront" agenda, despite the UN's inherent caution and bureaucratic nature.
Guterres' legacy is less impressive, with his major highlights including the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative between Ukraine and Russia, promoting more women to senior UN roles, pursuing climate diplomacy, and integrating AI into discussions on emerging threats. However, the lows have been truly subterranean, as Guterres had to impose crippling budget cuts, the UN "UN80" reform process was more about downsizing than refocusing moral vision, and millions of people faced hunger due to humanitarian funding shortfalls.
Most tragically, Guterres failed to end ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Myanmar, Sudan, and Gaza, despite critics arguing he should have done more.
Before taking up the UN secretary general role, Guterres served as Portugal's prime minister and UN high commissioner for refugees. His candidacy was largely based on his reputation as a high commissioner in Geneva, where he restructured the UN refugee agency in response to humanitarian emergencies. Despite his efforts, the number of displaced people globally almost doubled during his tenure, from 65.6 million to 118 million, with 45 million children currently living as refugees or in tent cities.
Guterres' tenure was marked by growing friction between the UN Security Council's veto-wielding permanent members, exacerbating the current parlous situation. Critics argue that he appeared as a tired and marginal voice pleading for compromise, while the world body faces an uncertain future.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
