Activities of Secretary-General in India, 11-13 September
On Friday, 11 September, the Secretary-General arrived in New Delhi, India, to attend the 18th BRICS summit.
Later in the evening, the Secretary-General had a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India. During the discussion, the Secretary-General expressed appreciation for India’s close cooperation with the United Nations. He and the Prime Minister discussed the priorities of India’s presidency of the BRICS, including the need for multilateral institutions that clearly reflect the realities of the world in the twenty-first century.
The next day, on Saturday, 12 September, the Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, President of Egypt. During the meeting, the Secretary-General and President Al Sisi discussed global developments, including the situation in the broader Middle East and Ukraine, and their global impact.
The Secretary-General and the President discussed in detail the situation in Gaza and in the West Bank and reaffirmed the right of self-determination of the Palestinian people.
The Secretary-General underscored Egypt’s critical role in facilitating dialogue towards peace and stability in the Middle East.
During the Summit, the Secretary-General also had a number of discussions with some of the other participants in the BRICS Summit, notably, H.E. Mr. Prabowo Subianto, President of Indonesia, and H.E. Mr. Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia. The Secretary-General also had meeting with Ashish Khanna, Director General of the International Solar Alliance.
On Sunday, 13 September, the Secretary-General delivered remarks to the 18th BRICS Summit. Mr. Guterres said that global institutions must be reshaped to reflect today’s economic, demographic and geopolitical realities, as the world moves irreversibly towards multipolarity. Calling for reform of the United Nations Security Council, the Bretton Woods system and the international financial architecture, he urged greater influence for developing countries, stronger multilateral development banks, expanded concessional financing and effective debt relief. “Our institutional structures must reflect” the realities of today, he said, stressing that a more representative multilateral system is essential to inclusive global growth.
The Secretary-General also called for equitable access to artificial intelligence, accelerated climate action and renewed respect for international law amid conflicts from Gaza and the wider Middle East to Ukraine and Sudan. Warning that an unchecked AI divide could deepen inequalities, he appealed for support for United Nations initiatives on AI governance and capacity-building. On climate, he pressed countries to speed the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, scale up finance for developing nations and protect communities from worsening impacts, declaring that critical minerals must generate value and jobs in producing countries: “Enough plundering.” He concluded by urging all countries to safeguard a multilateral system that delivers for all, with the United Nations at its centre.
The Secretary-General left New Delhi later on Sunday, 13 September.