United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has issued his most blistering critique yet of the global security architecture, warning that the world is sliding into a "law of the jungle" where might makes right and the vulnerable—specifically Africa—are silenced by an obsolete colonial relic.

In a landmark address that resonated deeply with the Global South, Guterres did not mince words: the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in its current form is illegitimate, ineffective, and morally bankrupt. His renewed push for urgent reforms is not just bureaucratic housekeeping; it is a desperate bid to save multilateralism from total collapse.

"A Historic Injustice"

"How can we accept that a continent of over 1.4 billion people, which hosts the majority of UN peacekeeping operations, has no permanent voice at the table where decisions about its survival are made?" Guterres asked the General Assembly. He termed the exclusion of Africa from the Permanent Five (P5) members as a "flagrant historic injustice" that can no longer be papered over with non-binding resolutions.

The Secretary-General’s comments come as the "Pact for the Future" negotiations reach a fever pitch. Kenya, led by President William Ruto, has been at the forefront of this diplomatic offensive, arguing that the 1945 settlement—which granted veto power to the victors of World War II—is woefully ill-equipped to handle the geopolitical fragmentations of 2026.

• The Veto Problem: Guterres highlighted how the veto power has been weaponized by superpowers to paralyze the Council on critical issues like Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, leaving millions defenseless.
• The Ezulwini Consensus: The African Union’s unified position, demanding two permanent seats with veto power and five non-permanent seats, is now gaining traction even among some P5 members who fear the UN’s irrelevance.
• Global Governance Crisis: "We are seeing the normalization of impunity," Guterres warned. "When the Security Council cannot act, the warlords, the dictators, and the aggressors take note. They see a green light."

Ruto’s Diplomatic Charge

President Ruto, a vocal ally in Guterres’ corner, has framed this not as a request for charity, but a demand for equality. "We are not asking to be invited to the dinner; we are the ones providing the food," Ruto famously remarked at the previous assembly. The inclusion of the African Union in the G20 was a start, but the UNSC remains the "holy grail" of international legitimacy.

Guterres warned that without these structural changes, the UN risks going the way of the League of Nations—irrelevant and impotent in the face of global catastrophe. The "Summit of the Future" is now seen as the last best chance to rewrite the charter before the "law of the jungle" becomes the only law that matters.