The Role of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in the Maintenance of International Peace and Security; with Emphasis on the Performance of António Guterres

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22091/ijicl.2026.14974.1227

Abstract

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, as one of the principal organs of the Organization, plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of international peace and security. This role is defined on the basis of the express and implied powers of the Charter of the United Nations, as well as the functions entrusted to the Secretary-General by the Security Council and the General Assembly. Accordingly, the performance of Secretaries-General in different periods has taken diverse forms, influenced by prevailing international conditions and their individual personal characteristics.

This research, conducted through a descriptive–analytical approach, examines the action capacities of the Secretary-General in the field of international peace and security and, by reviewing the initiatives of previous Secretaries-General, analyses the performance of António Guterres. In this context, thirteen major crises during his term of office were identified and examined. The findings indicate that Guterres’s approach has largely been confined to diplomatic measures and political statements. His positions have often been characterized by unjustified delays, a cautious and conservative posture, the absence of clear identification of the aggressor and the defending party, and mere calls upon the parties to exercise restraint, which in certain instances has resulted in partial and inequitable responses. Overall, in light of the multiplicity of international crises during Guterres’s tenure and the growing expectations of the international community for the United Nations to play an active and impartial role, his performance, in comparison with his predecessors, may be assessed as placing him among the weaker Secretaries-General.

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Iranian Journal of International and Comparative Law

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 02 June 2026

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