United Nations, Sept 2026 : United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday called for peace and respect for international law as leaders of countries involved in major conflicts gathered at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
Addressing the summit, Guterres said the world urgently needed peace amid conflicts and crises affecting the Global South, including the Gaza conflict, the wider crisis in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine and the civil war in Sudan.
“From Gaza, to the broader crisis in the Middle East, to Ukraine, Sudan and beyond, our world needs peace,” Guterres said, stressing that peace is essential for achieving inclusive global growth.
Several leaders directly connected to the conflicts and tensions were present at the summit. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attended alongside Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Russian President Vladimir Putin was also present, as the Ukraine conflict continues to have wider consequences for global food and fertiliser supplies.
Guterres urged all countries to uphold their responsibilities under the UN Charter and international law. These obligations, he said, include respecting freedom of navigation, sovereign equality, territorial integrity and political independence, peaceful settlement of disputes, international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
His remarks came amid continuing concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy route. Disruptions to shipping following the February attack on Iran by Israel and the United States have affected a major maritime corridor through which around 20 per cent of the world's petroleum and gas supplies pass.
Referring to the theme of the BRICS Summit, set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Guterres said the world must build for resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. He described these principles as essential to achieving inclusive global growth and emphasised that peace was a fundamental prerequisite for meeting those objectives.
Guterres' call for peace was broadly reflected in the BRICS joint declaration adopted on Saturday. The 11-member grouping expressed deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in the Middle East and West Asia and called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid actions that could further aggravate the situation.
The declaration also called for the preservation of the ceasefire in Gaza and supported the “inalienable rights” of the Palestinian people, while opposing their displacement. The joint statement was endorsed by leaders of Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, highlighting a degree of diplomatic convergence among countries with differing regional interests.
On Sudan, the BRICS declaration expressed grave concern over the worsening security and humanitarian situation and called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire to end the conflict.
However, the declaration did not directly mention the Ukraine war. This contrasted with the BRICS declaration issued at last year's summit in Brazil, which included a brief reference acknowledging that member countries had adopted different positions on the conflict in international forums.
The discussions at the New Delhi summit underscored the growing importance of diplomatic engagement, respect for international law and cooperation in addressing conflicts that continue to threaten regional stability and global economic growth.
