{
  "id": 19113314,
  "title": "How the successor of Antonio Guterres can put peace back on the UN menu",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/how-the-successor-of-antonio-guterres-can-put-peace-back-on-the-un",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-09T07:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/2026/11/09/un-secretary-general-security-council-peace-antonio-guterres/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As the race to lead the United Nations becomes increasingly contentious, the incoming secretary general faces a daunting task. With repeated Security Council straw polls failing to produce a candidate acceptable to its five permanent members, the council's unity is called into question. The future leader must grasp the significance of their role, as the UN Charter grants great status, but the power of the position ultimately depends on the concessions granted by strong states.\n\nThe world currently finds itself mired in 65 state-based conflicts, a record since the UN's inception 80 years ago. These conflicts include eight wars between states, a doubling from the previous year, and nearly 250,000 deaths from organized violence. The bloodiest period since the 1994 Rwanda genocide is marked by civilians bearing the brunt of brutalities and a surge in one-sided attacks, with international law being flouted at its highest levels in decades.\n\nDespite a shrinking budget, fewer peacekeepers, a divided Security Council, and a mediating role being ceded to others, the UN's capacity to address these challenges is diminished. The secretary general, though idealistic and energetic, must navigate a complex international landscape where blocs from the Cold War have evolved into fragmented alliances. This new order requires the new leader to understand that the same member state can sit at multiple tables simultaneously, such as India's involvement with Washington in the Quad, Moscow and Beijing in Brics, and its oil trade with Russia while purchasing aircraft from France.\n\nThe UAE exemplifies this dynamic, balancing membership in Brics, American security partnerships, and the Abraham Accords, while also engaging in trade pacts across Africa and Asia. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Indonesia, Brazil, and South Africa illustrate the same phenomenon, each entertaining simultaneous relationships with various partners. Meanwhile, Washington engages in a constant dance of disagreements with European allies and rivalries, while Russia and China coexist warily.\n\nNavigating this intricate web of international relations requires strategic autonomy coupled with pragmatism. Nations are increasingly embracing \"pop-up\" coalitions centered around specific issues rather than relying on fixed partnerships. The secretary general must recognize that while there is no dress code for members at these tables, their presence is mandatory, as stated by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney: \"If you are not at the table, you are on the menu.\"\n\nPerhaps most challenging for the incoming leader is witnessing the tables being set in various locations, including Washington, Doha, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, and Ankara. Peace is now prepared in these \"pop-up kitchens,\" with the UN chief merely serving as the head waiter, notarizing the menu, laying out the cutlery, pouring drinks, and clearing up after departing guests. To handle this reality, the new secretary general could learn from predecessors and consider the following ten recommendations.",
  "summary": "The race to lead the UN is going from orderly to fraught. Repeated Security Council straw polls have failed to produce a candidate acceptable to its five permanent members. And so new contenders have entered the arena, including the UAE’s Lana Nusseibeh . Whoever succeeds Antonio Guterres at the end of December will deserve congratulations because they will have been chosen by a council that…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}