UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C) addresses the Security Council meeting on strengthening the mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes at the UN headquarters in New York, July 23, 2026. Guterres on Thursday called for strengthening collective mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, July 23 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for strengthening collective mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes.

Speaking at a Security Council high-level debate on the peaceful settlement of disputes, Guterres said Security Council Resolution 2788 urges all UN member states to make full and effective use of the tools set out in the UN Charter for the peaceful settlement of disputes, but today, conflicts are increasing in number, complexity, length and scope, with an alarming disregard for international law, impunity spreading, and violations going unanswered.

Noting that there is no military solution to the conflict in the Middle East, Guterres said, "Diplomacy is the only way forward."

While diplomacy may not have succeeded in preventing conflicts, it still holds the power to stop them, he stressed.

Underscoring that the UN Charter remains humanity's best hope for peace, Guterres called on Security Council members to "lead by example."

"The best path to peace is through compromise and finding common ground," said the UN chief, urging all Security Council members to "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."

The Security Council adopted Resolution 2788 in July 2025 to strengthen mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of international disputes. ■

Photo taken on July 23, 2026 shows the Security Council meeting on strengthening the mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes at the UN headquarters in New York. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for strengthening collective mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)