United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will address the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, emphasizing the need for multilateral reforms and the concept of multipolarity. The summit, hosted by India as chair for 2026, will take place on September 12-13, with Guterres scheduled to speak on September 13. His remarks are expected to highlight the outdated nature of the 1945-era geopolitical order and the necessity of reforming institutions like the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to reflect current realities.

The UN chief's spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, stated that Guterres will argue that the current global landscape—marked by shifting economic power, demographic changes, and geopolitical shifts—requires a reimagining of multilateral institutions. This includes calls for reform of the Bretton Woods system and the UNSC, which India and other nations have long advocated for. India, a founding BRICS member, has been seeking a permanent UNSC seat as part of its broader reform agenda.

India, which assumed its fourth BRICS chairmanship on January 1, 2026, is hosting the summit amid global challenges, including the economic fallout from the West Asia crisis. The summit's theme, 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,' aligns with India's priorities. Guterres is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other officials during his visit, which follows his previous trip to India in February 2026 for the India-AI Impact Summit.

The call for Security Council reform has been a consistent demand from India and other countries, which argue that the current composition of the 15-member body does not reflect the geopolitical and economic realities of the 21st century. However, the specific positions of other BRICS nations on this issue are not detailed in the sources.

The summit is expected to address a range of global challenges, including economic and security issues, but the exact outcomes and decisions remain uncertain. The BRICS grouping, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, will also consider outreach invitees. While the summit's agenda is outlined, the extent of consensus or disagreement on key issues such as UNSC reform or the West Asia crisis is not specified in the available evidence. The summit's impact on global governance and multilateralism will depend on the discussions and decisions made during the two-day event.