UN Secretary-General António Guterres plans to use his speech at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi to push for a fairer global system and real changes to big international organizations, including the UN Security Council. He’s landing in Delhi on Thursday, just before the summit kicks off on September 12 and 13. In his address, Guterres will highlight that today’s world is full of competing powers, and the old ways of running things just don’t cut it anymore. We need smarter, more inclusive ways to govern.
His main point? The world’s shifting toward multipolarity, and that means our international institutions need a shake-up. He’s argued this several times, calling out the UN Security Council and global finance systems as overdue for reform. In India, he’ll probably say it again: having more global centres of power sounds good, but unless groups like the Bretton Woods institutions and the Security Council actually reflect the world as it is now, we’re out of balance.
This message fits neatly with India’s own goals. India has pushed for years to reform the Security Council and give emerging economies more say. New Delhi wants a permanent seat, and they think the Council’s line-up is just outdated.
Look at the summit itself—India’s hosting the event this year at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, with the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” Top leaders from BRICS countries are attending, including Putin and Xi Jinping. Guterres isn’t the only one talking reforms—on the agenda, you’ll find topics like:
– Making multilateralism work and global governance more inclusive
– Reforming bodies like the UN Security Council and big financial organizations
– Climate change solutions, sustainable development, and green finance
– Cooperation in digital tech, innovation, and infrastructure
– Ways to boost local-currency trade and digital payments across borders
There’s a closed session scheduled for September 12, so leaders can tackle these big subjects face-to-face.
Why’s this all so important for India and the Global South? For India, the summit is a big deal: it’s a place to push priorities like giving developing countries more of a voice and shaking up international institutions that seem stuck in the past. The timing’s perfect—debates around unilateral approaches and global cooperation are heating up. Guterres is really echoing a core BRICS and Indian belief: global institutions need to update themselves or risk losing credibility.
A few things to keep an eye on:
– Is Guterres going to get specific about Security Council reform—will he mention expanding membership, changing veto powers, or how the Council works?
– Will he push for reform in other global bodies, like the IMF and World Bank?
– How will BRICS leaders—especially India, China, and Russia—respond or outline their own reform plans?
Guterres is expected to meet Prime Minister Modi during the summit, so New Delhi could become the spot where the world’s conversation about who shapes global rules—and how—gets even sharper.
