Africa: Old Global Order Must Change As Power Shifts to Emerging Economies - Guterres

What the report says

UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged leaders of a major group of emerging economies meeting in New Delhi to support a reshaping of global institutions so they better reflect today’s balance of power. According to UN News, he argued that bodies created after the Second World War, including the UN Security Council and the Bretton Woods financial system, no longer match current economic, demographic and geopolitical realities.

The summit was hosted by India and brought together leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and other participating countries, alongside heads of major international organizations such as the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization. Guterres presented the gathering as evidence of a more multipolar world and said that shift should be managed through reform, not resisted.

He outlined four priorities for what he called inclusive global growth: financing, technology, climate justice and peace. He said developing countries need more international support, called for stronger multilateral development banks, and warned that artificial intelligence benefits remain concentrated in a small number of firms and countries. He also linked the reform debate to climate risks and conflict, pressing wealthier states to honour climate finance commitments and urging respect for the UN Charter in crises including Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan.

The remarks matter because they reflect a wider push from developing economies for more influence in global decision-making, especially in finance, security and climate policy.