Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres' remarks to the Security Council open debate on the peaceful settlement of disputes, in New York today:
I thank the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Pakistan for convening today's open debate.
Resolution 2788 (2025) urges all Member States to make full and effective use of the tools set out in the UN Charter for the peaceful settlement of disputes. Article 33 names them. They include the very essence of diplomacy, dialogue and international law: negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, regional agencies or arrangements, and any other peaceful means the parties may choose.
These tools were not designated for moments of consensus. They were designated for times when consensus seems out of reach, when divisions have grown too wide, when solutions are in short supply and when violence erupts. In other words, they were designed for times like these.
Today, conflicts are increasing in number, complexity, length and scope. We see an alarming disregard for international law. Impunity is spreading. Violations are going unanswered. Each violation unanswered becomes the next violation's precedent. Trust is eroding. And negotiated settlements are becoming harder to reach and maintain.
When parties prioritize military solutions over negotiated settlements, civilians pay the heaviest toll. We see this on full display in the Middle East, with devastating consequences in the region and across the globe. The situation is getting out of control. It is teetering on the edge of [the] unimaginable. The region is being pulled into an ever-widening circle of confrontation. One crisis feeds another. One escalation triggers the next.
As this dynamic spreads, the political objectives are becoming increasingly obscured by the confrontation itself. It is time to step back. Attacks on civilian infrastructure are unacceptable. There is no military solution to the conflict. Fighting must stop everywhere in the region.
International navigational rights and freedoms in and around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab must be fully restored. Diplomacy is the only way forward. That has been my clear and consistent message in my ongoing outreach to leaders.
I want to recognize the mediation of Pakistan and countries in the region working to reduce tensions and create space for dialogue. These efforts must be supported and strengthened in pursuit of a peaceful and durable settlement.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, despite the so-called ceasefire, civilians continue to pay a heavy price every day. People are being killed in their homes, in their communities and while carrying out ordinary acts of daily life - as Israel increases its control of Gaza.
At the same time, living conditions remain intolerable, and horrific diseases are spreading - with humanitarian operations heavily impeded. An Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) food security analysis released just this morning highlights the fragility of the situation.
Despite the life-saving impact of humanitarian aid, the number of those facing high levels of food insecurity is expected to rise in the coming months to 1.4 million people - roughly 70 per cent of the population.
This is the bitter toll of restrictions on aid access and continuing violence. In the Occupied West Bank, we see creeping annexation with violence, settlement-expansion, extensive Israeli military operations and large-scale displacement. And in Ukraine, the Sahel, Sudan and many other places, conflict is inflicting enormous suffering, disrupting livelihoods and uprooting populations with dire humanitarian consequences.
Resolution 2788 (2025) reminds us of a fundamental truth. Diplomacy may not have succeeded in preventing these conflicts. But, it still holds the power to stop them. As we are asked to implement resolution 2788 (2025), I see six areas where we can bolster our collective mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes.
First - by strengthening the full range of good offices and mediation support of the UN Secretariat. The resolution reaffirmed the role of the Security Council under Chapter VI of the Charter. But, it also encouraged me to continue to use my good offices and ensure that the United Nations is able to lead and support mediation and preventive diplomacy efforts, by helping to bridge differences, by supporting shared analyses of potential threats, informed by our teams around the world, by providing Member States with options for action and consensus.
This requires making full use of our political and technical capacities at Headquarters, as well as in the field. UN peace operations - special political missions and peacekeeping operations - play an important role in this regard, and will be addressed by the review which will be released shortly.
And it requires early engagement efforts - from shuttle diplomacy, to listening tours, exploratory talks and helping open political space for dialogue and mediation. These efforts are ongoing.
For example, in Sudan, my Personal Envoy is engaging with the parties to encourage restraint and help prevent escalation. The United Nations helped broker a landmark agreement between Yemen's internationally recognized government and Houthi rebels to release more than 1,600 conflict-related detainees in May.
And the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs' Mediation Support Team and Standby Team of Mediation experts continue to deploy extensively in support of UN-led mediation, as well as that of our partners.
Second - we need to use our network of regional offices and envoys to its full potential, and expand where appropriate. Today's conflicts are increasingly regional in nature. Preventive diplomacy and peacemaking must be, too.
Our regional offices and envoys are some of our most effective instruments for preventive diplomacy, regional cooperation and building space for political solutions. They also help us operationalize our partnership with regional organizations. One example is what you heard from my Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel just last week. His ongoing diplomatic work seeks to forge consensual approaches in a deeply divided region.
The UN's regional offices and envoys are nimble and cost-effective. By being part of a region's standing diplomatic infrastructure, they have forged working relationships with critical actors. They can help us maintain our political engagement even when our in-country missions withdraw.
Third - this Council must not lose sight of its responsibility to act early and decisively. By deploying Chapter VI tools at the earliest possible stage, this Council can help reduce tensions, encourage restraint, and prevent disputes from spinning out of control. It can also give a significant boost to my good offices, including through the work of my envoys.
From ceasefires to arms control arrangements and de-escalation mechanisms, this Council can also make use of confidence-building measures to turn the temperature down on intensifying conflicts and to contain violence while the search for political solutions continues.
Fourth - the Security Council should engage more regularly in fact-finding. Very often, lack of Council unity stems from different interpretations of what is actually happening on the ground.
The framers of the Charter envisaged Article 34 exactly for this purpose - to help foster a common, unvarnished understanding of the facts underlying any dispute, or any situation that may lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute, before international peace and security are endangered.
The Council explicitly expressed its readiness to use Article 34 in resolution 2788 (2025). To this end, in addition to Council-mandated fact-finding missions, the Council should consider conducting fact-finding by reverting to its practice of visiting countries or regions affected by conflict or disputes. The Secretariat stands ready to support, where appropriate.
Fifth - resolution 2788 (2025) emphasizes the importance of integrating inclusive approaches to the peaceful settlement of disputes. This starts with ensuring the full, equal and meaningful participation of women at all levels of decision-making.
As long as power inequalities hold back half of our societies, peace will remain elusive. And it entails the meaningful participation of youth in conflict prevention and dispute-resolution mechanisms, and a strong civil society to help build trust and solidarity.
And sixth - I call on every Member State to do its part. I commend the many tireless efforts that Member States are undertaking every day to advance peace. No diplomatic gesture is in vain. No attempt at dialogue is futile.
By taking steps towards the peaceful settlement of disputes, Member States are building trust, and enhancing the space for the UN's vital political engagement, as well as the participation of regional and multilateral organizations and coalitions.
To support these efforts, the United Nations stands ready to lend its technical and operational expertise, knowledge and services to the full UN Membership.
The UN Charter remains humanity's best hope for peace. But, it is only as strong as the commitment of those responsible for upholding it. The members of this Council must lead by example. Geopolitical divisions are not a reason for inaction or abdication. Most situations on the Council's agenda are complex. The best path to peace is through compromise and finding common ground.
I urge all members of this Council: Summon the spirit of compromise that is essential to peace, keep the channels of dialogue open, and spare no effort in the pursuit of peaceful settlements of disputes - a founding principle of this Organization.
