{"id":635343,"date":"2026-09-25T06:16:29","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T06:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/635343\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T06:16:29","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T06:16:29","slug":"un-chief-seeks-ai-curbs-end-to-wars-in-assembly-address","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/635343\/","title":{"rendered":"UN chief seeks AI curbs, end to wars in assembly address"},"content":{"rendered":"

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres used his final address to the General Assembly to urge world leaders to regulate artificial intelligence, end wars, focus on climate change and overhaul UN institutions he warned are struggling to confront mounting global challenges.<\/p>\n

The former Portuguese prime minister, whose second five-year term ends on 31 December, reiterated his calls for global oversight of AI risks, just as the UN’s 15-member Security Council prepares to host AI leadersfor a briefing on the powerful technology.<\/p>\n

Mr Guterres also reflected on the gridlock within the organisation, as nearly 130 world leaders gathered in New York, and Chinese President Xi Jinping and others – including leaders from South Africa, India and Germany – skipped the diplomatic meeting.<\/p>\n

Follow live: World leaders gathering for UN General Assembly<\/a><\/p>\n

Delegates responded with sustained applause when Mr Guterres defended a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, demanded that “polluters must pay” for climate change and pressed for reforms to international institutions, causes he has championed throughout his decade leading the United Nations.<\/p>\n

‘AI must be shaped by humanity, with humanity and for all humanity’ – Guterres<\/p>\n

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The address capped a decade-long tenure in which Mr Guterres sought to position the UN as a mediator in conflicts and a forum for governing emerging technologies, even as major powers increasingly bypassed the organisation and Washington slashed its funding.<\/p>\n

“Those countries leading this technological revolution must share information on emerging safety risks, cooperate on testing and evaluation – and work towards common safeguards that protect us all,” Mr Guterres told the assembly.<\/p>\n

He called on the leaders gathered in New York to “advance the conditions for the responsible pacing of AI and the additional safeguards needed to address risks” and to “work towards a multilateral AI risk management framework, supported by credible and independent oversight.”<\/p>\n

Mr Guterres has long pushed for global governance of AI.<\/p>\n

In 2023, the UN created a \u200c39-member \u2060advisory body on AI, with members including tech company executives, government officials and academics from countries such as the US, Russia and Japan.<\/p>\n

\"UN
\nAntonio Guterres received a standing ovation after speaking during the 81st United Nations General Assembly<\/p>\n

The Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, met for the first time on the risks of artificial intelligence the same year, when China said the technology should not become a “runaway horse” and Washington warned against its use to censor or \u2060repress people.<\/p>\n

On the Middle East, where the conflict has widened as Houthi gains along the Red Sea coast threaten shipping routes and tensions persist in the Strait of Hormuz, Mr Guterres called for “de-escalation and dialogue”.<\/p>\n

“Together, let’s send a clear message from this hall: The fighting must stop. Humanitarian aid must flow. And navigational rights and freedoms must be fully restored in accordance with international law,” Guterres said.<\/p>\n

On the UN system, criticised by US President Donald Trump and others as bloated and ineffective after Washington withdrew from several UN agencies and slashed funding, Mr Guterres said, “our mechanisms for collective action are under growing strain” and global institutions “continue to reflect the power realities and interests of a largely bygone age”.<\/p>\n

Taoiseach to meet Guterres, Mamdani this week<\/p>\n

Throughout the course of the General Assembly sittings this week, Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin is due to participate in several bilateral meetings and attend a number of engagements relating to developments in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

These include a meeting of the ‘Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"Taoiseach
\nTaoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin is due to participate in several bilateral meetings with leaders<\/p>\n

The group’s aims are to work towards a two-state solution and support efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.<\/p>\n

The Taoiseach is also expected to participate in an event hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, to mark nearly a year since the Gaza peace plan was announced.<\/p>\n

Meetings between Mr Martin and outgoing UN Secretary General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani have also been scheduled.<\/p>\n

The wars involving Iran and Ukraine, artificial intelligence and pressure on the international system are expected to dominate the agenda this week.<\/p>\n

US President Donald Trump is due to address the Assembly – which begins at 3pm Irish time – later today and hold meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mr Burnham and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.<\/p>\n

Read more: Ireland must navigate diplomatic relationships at UN General Assembly<\/a><\/p>\n

Iran foreign minister arrives in New York<\/p>\n

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in New York last night, leading Iran’s diplomatic delegation at the annual gathering.<\/p>\n

Mr Araghchi is the highest-ranking Iranian official to enter the United States since the Middle East war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.<\/p>\n

Mr Araghchi spoke by phone with Mr Guterres after his arrival and exchanged views on the agenda of the UN General Assembly, Iranian state television reported.<\/p>\n

“Our most important objective is to use a major international platform to defend the legitimacy, rights, and interests of the Iranian people,” Mr Araghchi was quoted as telling Iranian journalists.<\/p>\n

\"French
\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron walks with Jerome Bonnafont (L), Permanent Representative of France to the UN after a meeting with US President Donald Trump at Trump Tower<\/p>\n

Earlier, Iranian state media had reported that the Iranian delegation would be led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, and that the US had refused to issue visas to members of his delegation, including his communications team.<\/p>\n

However, in a social post on X on Mr Aragchi’s arrival in New York, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei described the minister as “head of a diplomatic delegation” at the General Assembly.<\/p>\n

Mr Baghaei said Mr Aragchi “will hold talks and consultations with numerous officials and foreign ministers attending the session.”<\/p>\n

Mr Pezeshkian vowed to “firmly defend” his country’s positions before departing for New York.<\/p>\n

“We emerged with our heads held high, and this is a source of dignity and pride for all of us. Therefore, we will firmly defend our positions in international forums,” he said before flying out of Iran, according to footage broadcast by state television.<\/p>\n

While the US has authorised an Iranian delegation to travel for the UN gathering, it has, like last year, put restrictions in place.<\/p>\n

Iran’s delegation will not, for instance, be allowed to purchase luxury goods or other items during their stay in New York City, the State Department said.<\/p>\n

Iranian state media said that the US had refused to issue visas to members of the delegation, including the communications team.<\/p>\n

Additional reporting Jackie Fox<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres used his final address to the General Assembly to urge world leaders to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":635344,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[220,218,219,61,60,80],"class_list":["post-635343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-artificial-intelligence","tag-ai","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-artificialintelligence","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=635343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/635344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=635343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=635343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=635343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}