Addressing Member States, Secretary-General António Guterres warned that violations of international law are unfolding in plain sight and called for renewed political courage to confront global fragmentation. Highlighting inclusion, social cohesion, education, decent work and social protection as core priorities for 2026, he urged a new social contract rooted in shared civic values. “The choice is clear,” he said. “Inclusion or isolation. Renewal or decline.”
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Priorities
Secretary-General/Trip Announcement
Deputy Secretary-General Travel
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Syria
Sudan
Security Council
Honour Roll
PRIORITIES
António Guterres this morning presented to the General Assembly his priorities during his last year as UN Secretary-General, and he assured the Member States that he will make every day of 2026 count. He said that he is fully committed and fully determined to keep working, to keep fighting and to keep pushing for the better world that we know is possible.
The Secretary-General said that we are a world brimming with conflict, impunity, inequality and unpredictability. But even in this turbulence, he added, we have succeeded in claiming space for the United Nations where it was not a given, including in fields ranging from artificial intelligence to financing for development and climate change.
He noted that the UN80 Initiative he has presented is about building a UN system that delivers more effectively, more coherently and with greater impact, amid the reality of shrinking resources and rising needs. But he warned that today’s situation is totally unsustainable. Either all countries, without exception, honour their financial obligations under the Charter, which no longer seems to be the case. Or Member States must overhaul our financial rules to prevent a budget breakdown.
The Secretary-General outlined three basic priorities for the year ahead. First, he said, we must adhere to the UN Charter, fully and faithfully. He reiterated that the Charter is not an à la carte menu, it is prix fixe.
Second, he said, we must be relentless in our work for peace with justice, peace between nations and peace with nature. He noted, among others, the efforts to push forward with peace processes in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan.
And last, he said, our priority must be to build unity in an age of division. Our challenge, and our priority, must be to build welcoming societies, not walled-off citadels. Instead of marginalizing migrants and other groups, we must build united societies in a world of united nations, the Secretary-General said.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT
This evening, the Secretary-General will travel to London, where he will take part in a special event, organized by UNA-UK, the UN Association in the United Kingdom, to mark the 80th anniversary of the first meeting of the General Assembly.
On Saturday, the programme will begin with a civic service by Methodist Central Hall Westminster. Shortly after, Mr. Guterres will deliver the keynote address at the UNA-UK conference, entitled, “UNGA at 80: From 1946 to Our Future”. You will recall that Central Hall is where the first meeting of the General Assembly took place in 1946. In his remarks, he will say that the General Assembly is the parliament of the family of nations. But it is also a mirror of our world, its divisions and its hopes.
Mr. Guterres is expected to add that as we face challenges that are ever more borderless and interconnected, the only way to address them is together. And that requires a robust, responsive and well-resourced multilateral system.
The Secretary-General will express his gratitude to the United Kingdom for being such a strong pillar of multilateralism, and his appreciation to UNA-UK and to civil society for honouring history with their eyes firmly fixed on the future.
While in London, the Secretary-General will hold a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer. That meeting will take place tomorrow, and you can expect a readout. He is also scheduled to meet the Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, on Saturday.
After London, the Secretary-General will arrive in Switzerland on Sunday for two main engagements. He will attend the annual retreat with his Special and Personal Representatives and Envoys.
He will then travel to Davos to participate in the World Economic Forum, where on Wednesday, 21 January, the Secretary-General will deliver a special address focusing on “Dialogue,” as the Forum’s 56th Annual Meeting takes place under the theme A Spirit of Dialogue. He is expected to outline four priorities: investing in peace amid record global conflicts; advancing justice and opportunity by tackling extreme inequality and reforming the global financial system; securing a livable planet through accelerated climate action; and ensuring that technology, particularly AI, serves humanity through global governance and capacity-building.
While in Davos, Mr. Guterres is also scheduled to have bilateral meetings with leaders attending the Forum.
He will be back in the office on Thursday morning.
Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-01-15
Gladwyn Jebb was appointed as Acting UN Secretary-General in October 1945, effectively making him the first leader of the United Nations. Jebb (Great Britain, 1900 – 1996) was made a Counsellor within the Foreign Office of Great Britain in 1943. It was in this position that he attended numerous international conferences, including the Conference on International Organization in San Francisco—which ultimately led to the birth of the United Nations. In 1945, Jebb served as the Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations. He was appointed as the United Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1950 to 1954.
Addressing Member States, Secretary-General António Guterres warned that violations of international law are unfolding in plain sight and called for renewed political courage to confront global fragmentation. Highlighting inclusion, social cohesion, education, decent work and social protection as core priorities for 2026, he urged a new social contract rooted in shared civic values. “The choice is clear,” he said. “Inclusion or isolation. Renewal or decline.”
Briefing under agenda item “The situation on the Middle East,” with a focus on the current situation in Iran and the potential implications for international peace and security.
To watch in all official languages, visit: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1p/k1pauart1a
Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said, “in recent days, military de-escalation and general stabilization have been achieved, yet the security situation in parts of the south remains fragile.”
The Security Council adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution extending until 15 July the Secretary-General’s monthly reporting requirement on Houthi attacks against merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, with 13 votes in favor and two abstentions.
Grundberg said government-aligned forces, supported by Saudi Arabia, moved in early January to reassert control over both governorates and later deployed to Aden and other government-held areas to secure key administrative, economic and military infrastructure.
He said these developments were accompanied by changes in political appointments and command decisions at national and local levels, warning that further escalation could undermine Yemen’s stability.
Grundberg said, “the future of the south cannot be determined by any single actor or through force,” stressing that it must be decided by Yemenis themselves. He said President Rashad al Alimi’s initiative to convene a Saudi-hosted dialogue with a range of southern actors offers an opportunity to address long-standing grievances through political engagement.
António Guterres stressed that, more than six decades on, the Group of 77 and China remains a strong pillar of multilateralism and an indispensable force for global cooperation.
Today (14 Jan) the annual handover ceremony of the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China, transitioning from Iraq to Uruguay, was held at the UNHQ in New York.
Speaking at ceremony, Mario Lubetkin, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uruguay said, “In a context of growing international conflict, in which the prohibition on the use or threat of the use of force is being rapidly eroded, Uruguay presents itself as a promoter of peace and an honest broker among nations.”
He also said, “Our approach will be that of a facilitating Presidency, committed to strengthening internal cohesion within the Group and to ensuring that the voice of the Global South remains coordinated, constructive, and relevant in the multilateral system.”
He concluded, “Our agenda will reflect the priorities of all Member States and will aim to strengthen the voice of developing countries on the international stage, moving toward a more equitable, sustainable, and peaceful future—one that is needed today more than ever. ”
Annalena Baerbock, President of the UN General Assembly, commended the government of Iraq for the recent closure of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and its “unwavering commitment to peace, justice, and democracy. In these challenging times, UNAMI stands as a clear success story—highlighting the indispensable role the United Nations can play when it works in partnership with a Member State in support of inclusive dialogue, strong institutions, and human rights.”
António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, said, “The Group of 77 and China remains indispensable. At a moment when some question the value of cooperation, you have kept showing what cooperation can achieve.”
He stressed, “Your unity is a force for fairness. A force for action. And a force for justice to reshape a system that too often still delivers developing countries a raw deal – on finance, on climate, on technology, and on representation.”
He concluded, “The Group of 77 and China has long been a guardian of that determination. You can count on me to continue standing with you. To press for justice and equity. To defend international cooperation and solidarity. And to ensure that promises made to developing countries are promises kept.”
The G-77 was established on 15 June 1964 by seventy-seven developing countries signatories of the “Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Developing Countries” issued at the end of the first session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva.
Beginning with the first “Ministerial Meeting of the Group of 77 in Algiers (Algeria) on 10 – 25 October 1967, which adopted the Charter of Algiers”, a permanent institutional structure gradually developed which led to the creation of Chapters of the Group of 77 with Liaison offices in Geneva (UNCTAD), Nairobi (UNEP), Paris (UNESCO), Rome (FAO/IFAD), Vienna (UNIDO), and the Group of 24 (G-24) in Washington, D.C. (IMF and World Bank). Although the members of the G-77 have increased to 134 countries, the original name was retained due to its historic significance.
It is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the United Nations, which provides the means for the countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the United Nations system, and promote South-South cooperation for development.
Gladwyn Jebb (Great Britain, 1900 – 1996) was made a Counsellor within the Foreign Office of Great Britain in 1943. It was in this position that he attended numerous international conferences, including the Conference on International Organization in San Francisco—which ultimately led to the birth of the United Nations. In 1945, Jebb served as the Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations. He was appointed as the United Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1950 to 1954.
In Ghana, the Bundase Peace Operations Training School provides specialized pre-deployment training to prepare future United Nations peacekeepers for service.
Ghana is one of the top ten troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping and in December 2023, it hosted the first Peacekeeping Ministerial on the African continent.
UN Peacekeeping is a collective investment in global peace, security, and stability. A strong and effective partnership between the UN Secretariat, the Security Council, and countries that contribute uniformed personnel has enabled peacekeeping operations to deliver on their mandates and protect communities in some of the world’s most challenging contexts.
This partnership is essential as we continue to evolve. Now is the time to invest in peace.
Jean-Martin Bauer was just a teenager when a visit to his uncle’s Haitian rice farm planted the seed of his life-long passion for food security. Now Director of Food Security and Nutrition Analysis at the World Food Programme (WFP) he works to feed hungry people worldwide.
“Even now, even during these dark times … there are opportunities to sow seeds for a better future.”
The world faces a global hunger crisis, with a record 319 million people currently not getting enough to eat. The author of a recent book on hunger in the Twenty-First Century, Jean-Martin Bauer reflects in this episode on the human cost of famine in Gaza and Sudan, the impact of funding cuts on the most vulnerable, and explains why the best solutions are those closest to home.
Listen to the full episode on www.un.org/en/awake-at-night, UN YouTube or your favourite podcast platforms.
About Awake at Night
Hosted by Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, the podcast ‘Awake at Night’ is an in-depth interview series focusing on remarkable United Nations staff members who dedicate their career to helping people in parts of the world where they have the hardest lives – from war zones and displacement camps to areas hit by disasters and the devastation of climate change.
Awake at Night Website https://www.un.org/en/awake-at-night
