US believes its energy issues greater than worldwide regulation, UN chief António Guterres tells BBC

[ad_1] Anna Foster Presenter, At present programme

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/9935/live/a601b8f0-f4a4-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/9935/live/a601b8f0-f4a4-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/9935/live/a601b8f0-f4a4-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/9935/live/a601b8f0-f4a4-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/9935/live/a601b8f0-f4a4-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/9935/live/a601b8f0-f4a4-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/9935/live/a601b8f0-f4a4-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/9935/live/a601b8f0-f4a4-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="UN Photo / Alba García Ruiz Antonio Guterres speaks to the BBC's Anna Foster" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> UN Picture / Alba García Ruiz Antonio Guterres advised the BBC some consider "the facility of regulation must be changed by the regulation of energy"

The US is appearing with impunity and believes its energy issues greater than worldwide regulation, the pinnacle of the UN has advised the BBC.

Chatting with BBC Radio 4's At present programme, António Guterres stated Washington's "clear conviction" was that multilateral options had been irrelevant.

What mattered, he continued, was the "train of the facility and affect of america and generally on this respect by the norms of worldwide regulation".

His feedback come weeks after the US struck Venezuela and seized its president - and within the context of Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex Greenland.

Guterres stated he believed the founding rules of the UN - together with the equality of member states - had been now below menace.

President Trump has beforehand been scathing in his criticism of the United Nations.

He used his handle finally September's Normal Meeting to query its very objective, claiming he had "ended seven unendable wars" on his personal and the UN "didn't even attempt to assist in any of them".

"Later I realised that the UN wasn't there for us," he stated.

Offered with this damning evaluation, Guterres admitted his organisation was struggling to make members abide by the worldwide legal guidelines specified by the UN Constitution.

The UN was "extraordinarily engaged" in fixing main international conflicts, he insisted. "However the UN has no leverage - the large powers have stronger leverage.

He questioned whether or not that additional leverage was getting used to supply actual and enduring options to these conflicts, or simply fast fixes. "There's a massive distinction between the 2 issues," he famous.

Guterres additionally stated his organisation wanted reform to deal with "dramatic issues and challenges" dealing with its 193 members.

"There are people who consider the facility of regulation must be changed by the regulation of energy," the UN chief stated.

"Certainly, when one sees the current coverage of america, there's a clear conviction that multilateral options usually are not related and that what issues is the train of the facility and the affect of america and generally on this respect by the norms of worldwide regulation".

He recommended the UN Safety Council - designed to keep up worldwide peace and safety - not represented the world and was "ineffective".

Any one of many council's everlasting members - France, China, Russia, the UK or US - can at present veto resolutions. Each Russia and the US have used this energy to frustrate international efforts to finish the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

Guterres claimed vetoes had been getting used to additional particular person members' pursuits, and criticised the truth that "three European nations" had been everlasting members.

He referred to as for modifications to the council's composition - to "regain legitimacy" and "give voice to the entire world" - and to restrict veto powers to keep away from unacceptable "blockages".

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/09bc/live/612dd230-f496-11f0-b5f7-49f0357294ff.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/09bc/live/612dd230-f496-11f0-b5f7-49f0357294ff.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/09bc/live/612dd230-f496-11f0-b5f7-49f0357294ff.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/09bc/live/612dd230-f496-11f0-b5f7-49f0357294ff.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/09bc/live/612dd230-f496-11f0-b5f7-49f0357294ff.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/09bc/live/612dd230-f496-11f0-b5f7-49f0357294ff.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/09bc/live/612dd230-f496-11f0-b5f7-49f0357294ff.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/09bc/live/612dd230-f496-11f0-b5f7-49f0357294ff.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Reuters António Guterres reaching out to shake Sir Keir Starmer's hand at Downing Street in a picture taken on 16 January" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Reuters Guterres, whose time period as secretary basic is coming to an finish, met Sir Keir Starmer in London final Friday

Guterres – a former Portuguese prime minister – took on the job of heading the UN in 2017, and can depart the position on the finish of this yr.

In his annual remarks to the Normal Meeting, historically used to establish the organisation's priorities, he warned of a world in chaos, "brimming with battle, impunity, inequality and unpredictability", and recognized "brazen violations of worldwide regulation" as one of many greatest challenges dealing with the worldwide order.

One of many ongoing conflicts Guterres recognized as key for the UN was Gaza.

For big components of the conflict it was prevented from distributing support within the strip, as Israel blocked worldwide humanitarian organisations from bringing it into the territory.

At one level, Israel even backed an exterior contractor – the Gaza Humanitarian Organisation – to do the work the UN had historically carried out for many years. Tons of of Palestinians had been killed attempting to entry meals at GHF websites.

When requested if he noticed the UN as powerless in Gaza the place it ought to have made a distinction, he stated: "In fact, however let's be clear.

"For a very long time, Israel was saying that humanitarian support was not distributed as a result of the UN was not in a position to take action. In fact, every time Israel wouldn't permit us to maneuver into Gaza, we could not transfer into Gaza. After which there was a ceasefire, and an enormous circulate of humanitarian support."

He burdened: "We had been prepared, offered we had the circumstances."

Just a few days in the past, Guterres advised the UN Normal Meeting that "1945 problem-solving" would not remedy 2026 issues, referring to the organisation's founding construction.

The challenges hold coming, with the US-forced change of management in Venezuela, regime forces in Iran killing 1000's of protestors and Donald Trump's acknowledged goal of annexing Greenland.

Questions in regards to the loss of life of multilateralism - and the failure of some world leaders to talk out and defend the rule of worldwide regulation - are rising ever-louder.

However Antonio Guterres advised me he was remaining optimistic.

"I feel that individuals are generally reluctant to confront the highly effective. However the reality is that if we do not confront the highly effective, we are going to by no means have the ability to have a greater world."

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/01c0/live/75d17060-f50f-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/01c0/live/75d17060-f50f-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/01c0/live/75d17060-f50f-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/01c0/live/75d17060-f50f-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/01c0/live/75d17060-f50f-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/01c0/live/75d17060-f50f-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/01c0/live/75d17060-f50f-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/01c0/live/75d17060-f50f-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="A thin, grey banner promoting the US Politics Unspun newsletter. On the right, there is an image of North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher, wearing a blue suit and shirt and grey tie. Behind him is a visualisation of the Capitol Building on vertical red, grey and blue stripes. The banner reads: "The newsletter that cuts through the noise.”" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Observe the twists and turns of Trump's second time period with North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher's weekly US Politics Unspun e-newsletter. Readers within the UK can join right here. These exterior the UK can join right here.