UN Chief slams Security Council for inaction on Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine conflicts

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly criticized the UN Security Council, calling it an “outdated” and “ineffective” system, failing to stop major global conflicts, including the wars in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Arabic, Guterres said, “The Security Council has systematically failed in relation to the capacity to put an end to the most dramatic conflicts that we face today.”

Guterres highlighted the council’s inability to act due to the veto power of its permanent members, which has blocked decisive actions. He emphasized that while UN humanitarian agencies continue to provide essential services in crisis zones, the council’s political failures have tarnished the UN’s credibility. “The UN is not the Security Council,” Guterres noted, but added, “This failure of the Security Council is a severe handicap for our work in the field.”

He pointed to the ongoing war in Gaza, where Israeli forces have killed 200 UNRWA staff members, but praised the agency for remaining the “backbone of humanitarian support to the people of Gaza.”

Guterres also accused major powers of fostering a global culture of impunity, stating, “We live in an environment of total impunity. Everybody does what everybody wants.” He called for stronger U.S. pressure on Israel to halt its assault on Gaza and reaffirm the two-state solution, stressing, “The occupation is not legal,” referencing Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

As the UN grapples with these crises, Guterres’s criticism adds to growing calls for reform within the Security Council to better address today’s conflicts.