☰
HomeLiving Beyond BordersGZERO WorldSignalIn 60 SecondsPuppet RegimeGZERO World PodcastContact UsAbout UsCareersPrivacy PolicyTerms

UN SG Guterres on a world in chaos and a UN in crisis

September 20, 2025
GZERO Staff
The UN Secretary-General at a press conference

Wars are raging, tensions are rising, and trust in global institutions is collapsing. From Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan, the world is on fire—and the one institution meant to keep the peace is facing a historic financial crisis.

On the GZERO World Podcast, Ian Bremmer speaks with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres about the UN’s role in an era of war, division, and dwindling support. With the US cutting funding and other major powers following suit, the UN is preparing to slash its budget by 15%—even as demand for peacekeeping and aid hits record highs.

“What’s happening today in Gaza is morally, politically, and legally intolerable” Guterres tells Bremmer. With funding for life-saving aid programs evaporating, the Western-led global order that has kept the world on solid ground since WWII risks failing just when it is needed most.

Subscribe to the GZERO World Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published

More from GZERO Media

Walmart's $350 billion commitment to American jobs

Walmart

Walmart’s $350 billion commitment to American manufacturing means two-thirds of the products we buy come straight from our backyard to yours. From New Jersey hot sauce to grills made in Tennessee, Walmart is stocking the shelves with products rooted in local communities. The impact? Over 750,000 American jobs - putting more people to work and keeping communities strong. Learn more here.

Mali’s insurgency spells trouble for West Africa

People gather at a petrol station in Bamako, Mali, on November 1, 2025, amid ongoing fuel shortages caused by a blockade imposed by al Qaeda-linked insurgents.
REUTERS/Stringer

Mali is on the verge of falling to an Islamist group that has pledged to transform the country into a pre-modern caliphate. The militant group’s momentum has Mali’s neighbors worried.

Microsoft AI Diffusion Report 2025

Microsoft

Last week, Microsoft released the AI Diffusion Report 2025, offering a comprehensive look at how artificial intelligence is spreading across economies, industries, and workforces worldwide. The findings show that AI adoption has reached an inflection point: 68% of enterprises now use AI in at least one function, driving measurable productivity and economic growth. The report also highlights that diffusion is uneven, underscoring the need for greater investment in digital skills, responsible AI governance, and public-private collaboration to ensure the benefits are broadly shared. Read the full report here.

Inclusion by design: Rebeca Grynspan on AI, inequality & global reform

- YouTube

youtu.be

At the 2025 Abu Dhabi Global AI Summit, UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan warns that without deliberate action, the world’s poorest countries risk exclusion from the AI revolution. “There is no way that trickle down will make the trick,” she tells GZERO Media’s Tony Maciulis. “We have to think about inclusion by design."

Global Stage: Bringing AI tech, trust, and talent to the world

- YouTube

youtu.be

In this Global Stage panel recorded live in Abu Dhabi, Becky Anderson (CNN) leads a candid discussion on how to close that gap with Brad Smith (Vice Chair & President, Microsoft), Peng Xiao (CEO, G42), Ian Bremmer (President & Founder, Eurasia Group and GZERO Media), and Baroness Joanna Shields (Executive Chair, Responsible AI Future Foundation).

Hard Numbers: Hamas returns three more hostage bodies, Tanzanian prez win reelection after quashing opposition, Another earthquake strikes Afghanistan, & More

A Palestinian Hamas militant keeps guard as Red Cross personnel head towards an area within the so-called “yellow line” to which Israeli troops withdrew under the ceasefire, as Hamas says it continues to search for the bodies of deceased hostages seized during the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in Gaza City, on November 2, 2025.
REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
About UsCareers PressContact Us Privacy PolicyTerms of Use
© 2025 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.