WASHINGTON 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for Security Council reform, urging world leaders to make the body "fit for purpose" in an era of multiplying global crises.

Addressing the council virtually to mark its 80th anniversary, Guterres blended historical reflection with a stark warning about the fragility of the international system.

"The council is a vital necessity, and a powerful force for good, but at the same time, its legitimacy is fragile," Guterres said.

He praised the council’s decades of contributions, from helping Cambodia recover from genocide and South Africa transition from apartheid, to peacekeeping successes in Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste, and Liberia. Above all, he said, the UN system has "given us 80 years without the chaos of a great power war."

However, he warned that recent divisions and unilateral actions by member states – acting outside the principles of the UN Charter – have undermined the council’s moral authority.

"Reform of the Security Council is imperative, and long overdue, for the maintenance of global order and safety. This includes expanding the membership," he stressed, endorsing calls to expand the council’s membership to better reflect 21st-century realities.

The UN Charter created six main organs, including the Security Council, which holds primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Unlike other UN bodies that make recommendations, the council can issue binding decisions all member states must follow. It has 15 members, five of them permanent — China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US — each with veto power.

- 'It is our duty to forge a body that can meet the challenges of the next 80 years'

Guterres’ remarks come amid growing frustration over the Security Council’s paralysis in conflicts from Ukraine and Gaza to Sudan and Myanmar, with critics saying its veto-wielding structure no longer reflects today’s global balance of power or interests.

"Expanding the membership is not only about justice; it is also about results. It has the potential to undo deadlocks, and offer stability in our increasingly multipolar world," Guterres said.

He also acknowledged recent initiatives by France and the UK to limit the use of the veto power, saying he "encouraged this chamber to examine them."

In closing, Guterres turned from geopolitics to moral appeal, invoking the human cost of conflict and the duty of those seated at the council’s iconic horseshoe table.

"The Security Council is not about hegemons and empires," he said. "It is about parents who have lost their children, refugees flung far from their homes, soldiers who have sacrificed their limbs."

Guterres warned that without a council capable of meeting today’s challenges, the world faces "grave danger," adding: "It is our duty to forge a body that can meet the challenges of the next 80 years — one that delivers justice and safety for all."