The UN Secretary-General calls on BRICS countries to promote multilateral cooperation, ensure fair governance and development of AI, and promote global peace and sustainable development.
Source: UN News
July 7, 2025 Sustainable Development Goals
UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke at the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday, emphasizing the need to guide AI development through fair, inclusive, and human rights-centered multilateral mechanisms. He also called for reforms to the UN Security Council and the international financial architecture to better reflect today's global power dynamics.
Guterres stated at the thematic session on 'Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic and Financial Affairs, and AI': 'AI is profoundly reshaping our economies and societies. The fundamental test is whether we can wisely steer this transformation to minimize risks and unlock its positive potential.'
He warned that the trend of weaponizing AI is alarming, especially against the backdrop of a still-fragile global peace.
On AI governance, Guterres stressed the need to establish an independent international scientific panel on AI under the UN to provide impartial, evidence-based technical guidance to countries. He also proposed regular global AI dialogues under the UN framework to ensure broad participation from all nations and stakeholders.
Guterres said: 'AI must not become a club for a few countries but should benefit all humanity, especially developing nations.' He revealed that he would soon submit a report on establishing an innovative voluntary financing mechanism to support AI capacity-building in developing countries and called on BRICS nations to actively support such efforts.
He noted that fair AI governance cannot be achieved without addressing structural inequalities in the current global governance system. He emphasized: 'We are in an era of multipolarity, where power relations are shifting. A multipolar world requires multilateral governance.'
Guterres called for accelerating reforms to the UN Security Council and the international financial system, stating these institutions 'were designed for a bygone era' and must now adapt to new realities. Citing outcomes from the recent development financing conference in Seville, Spain, he highlighted the need for greater representation of developing countries in global economic governance, fair debt restructuring mechanisms, and tripling the lending capacity of multilateral development banks, particularly in concessional financing and local currency loans.
Guterres said these measures are critical for Global South countries, helping to bridge the digital divide and make AI a powerful tool for inclusive growth and sustainable development.
He stressed: 'At a time when multilateralism is under strain, let us collectively declare to the world: Cooperation is humanity's greatest innovation. Cooperation begins with trust, and trust stems from all countries' respect for international law without exception.'
Guterres specifically addressed the situation in Gaza, emphasizing the urgent need for a permanent ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, unimpeded humanitarian access, and an end to annexation and violence in the West Bank. He stated: 'Peace must be based on the two-state solution.'
He also reiterated the UN's stance on peace in Ukraine, stressing that any process must align with the UN Charter, international law, and UN resolutions to ensure a just and sustainable solution. He similarly called for an immediate end to hostilities in Sudan and highlighted ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, the Sahel, and Myanmar.