“It’s time for the force of the law to prevail over the law of the force. It’s time for diplomacy to prevail over war.” Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of The United Nations

“It’s time for the force of the law to prevail over the law of the force. It’s time for diplomacy to prevail over war.” –@antonioguterres on the war in the Middle East. Full remarks: https://un.org/sg/en/content/

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine, or at least fair and just laws and policies]

https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/press-events/2026-03-19/secretary-generals-joint-press-encounter-he-mr-antonio-costa-president-of-the-european-council

19 March 2026

Brussels

Belgium

Secretary-General's joint press encounter with H.E. Mr. António Costa, President of the European Council

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Press events | António Guterres, Secretary-General

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Ladies and gentlemen of the press,

Let me start by two clear messages.

First, to the United States and to Israel:

It’s high time to end this war that is risking to get completely out of control, causing immense suffering on civilians and with propagation around the global economy, that is really dramatic with potential tragic consequences, especially for the least developed countries.

Second message, to Iran:

Stop attacking your neighbours; they were never parties to the conflict.  

The Security Council has condemned these attacks, has ordered them to stop, as it has ordered to open the Strait of Hormuz.

The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz causes enormous pain in so many people around the world that have nothing to do with this conflict.

It’s time for the force of the law to prevail over the law of the force. It’s time for diplomacy to prevail over war.

I want, naturally, to say that I’m extremely grateful for this invitation.

The European Union and the United Nations have exemplary cooperation, and the European Union has been a fundamental support for the UN and for multilateralism.

And I hope, I’m sure, the European Union will be absolutely central in the efforts to create an international order based on the rule of law, an international order in which we will have more justice, in which we will have more climate action, in which we will have more control of the evolution of technologies and in which international law will prevail.

Thank you very much.