The United States believes that its personal power matters more than international law, the head of the UN told the BBC in an interview on Monday.
When confronted with disparaging statements US President Donald Trump made about the UN's effectiveness and purpose, António Guterres admitted that the UN had no leverage to force members to obey international laws, especially when compared to the 'big powers'.
"There are those who believe the power of law should be replaced by the law of power," Guterres said. "Indeed, when one sees the present policy of the United States, there is a clear conviction that multilateral solutions are not relevant and that what matters is the exercise of the power and the influence of the United States, and sometimes, in this respect, by the norms of international law".
Guterres also admitted to the ineffectiveness of the UN Security Council, claiming that it no longer represented the world. He specifically mentioned the veto ability possessed by any of the council's permanent members - France, China, Russia, the UK, and the US - as leading to individual members furthering their interests.
Guterres proposed to alter the members of the council, to "regain legitimacy" and "give voice to the whole world," as well as limiting the usage of vetoes.
'We were ready' - Guterres blames Israel for backing GHF
One of the primary issues for the UN, according to Guterres, was the conflict in Gaza.
"For a long time, Israel was saying that humanitarian aid was not distributed because the UN was not able to do so. Of course, whenever Israel would not allow us to move into Gaza, we couldn't move into Gaza. And then there was a ceasefire, and a massive flow of humanitarian aid."
Guterres claimed that hundreds of Palestinians were killed due to Israel backing an external contractor – the Gaza Humanitarian Organization – instead of the UN.
"We were ready, provided we had the conditions," he claimed.