After a decade, the UN’s Antonio Guterres’ legacy will be mixed, at best

What the report says

The Independent Uganda published a commentary by Simon Adams assessing UN Secretary-General António Guterres as he nears the end of a decade in office. The piece, framed around his farewell address to the UN General Assembly, argues that his record will be judged as mixed: he inherited a period of worsening wars, humanitarian crises and great-power rivalry, but critics say he did not respond forcefully enough to those challenges.

The article says Guterres’ notable achievements included helping broker the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative between Ukraine and Russia, advancing climate diplomacy, promoting more women to senior UN roles and bringing attention to the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence. It also notes his earlier background as Portugal’s prime minister and as UN high commissioner for refugees, where he was seen as an energetic advocate for displaced people.

At the same time, the commentary says his time in New York has been marked by weak diplomatic leverage, budget pressure and major setbacks for the UN. It points to UN cost-cutting, staff losses, funding shortfalls and an inability to help end conflicts in Ukraine, Myanmar, Sudan and Gaza. The author argues that Guterres’ tenure has coincided with a rising number of displaced people and a more fragile United Nations.

More broadly, the piece reflects on the limits of the secretary-general role when major powers are divided. It suggests that Guterres’ legacy will be measured less by what he controlled than by what he failed to prevent, and that his successor will face a difficult task in restoring the UN’s credibility and influence.