Finland's Stubb urges UN reform and cooperation in General Assembly speech

Finnish President Alexander Stubb used his General Debate speech at the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly in New York on 22 September 2026 to argue that the world is facing a choice between cooperation and conflict. He opened by citing Kofi Annan's warning that "whatever our differences, we stand or fall together," and said disorder follows when that lesson is forgotten.

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Stubb said foreign policy rests on values, interests, and power, but said this year he wanted to focus on a simpler choice: cooperation or conflict. Stubb said co-operation is being undermined by a lack of trust, disregard for rules, and the weakening of institutions.

He said conflicts are spreading and bringing suffering, violence, and injustice. According to some accounts, he said, there are currently 65 active armed conflicts, more than at any time since the end of the Cold War.

He said competition between states will always exist, but that he is worried by the growing tendency for states to compete against the rules on which the international order rests. He said his speech was a defence of those rules and a call for co-operation, saying small nations need it to survive and large nations need it to stay great.

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Stubb said the best way to prevent competition from escalating into conflict is to uphold the most basic rules, values, and institutions. He said he would first analyse how the world is changing and then offer suggestions on what should be done next.

On multilateralism, he said it remains the best option for humanity even if it can be difficult, echoing a remark he attributed to Strobe Talbott that multilateralism can be "a real pain in the neck." He said it is needed to address armed conflict, climate change, sustainable development, and artificial intelligence. He said the world appears to be moving toward a non-cooperative multipolar order based on zero-sum deals, transactions, and unrestrained power.

In his view, that path is short-sighted and will ultimately lead to conflict, regardless of whether a country is a great power, middle power, or a small state like Finland. Stubb described plurilateralism as a third option, meaning ad hoc coalitions built when global cooperation is not possible.

He said such coalition-building can be a force for good in areas such as the economy, climate, defence, and technology, but only if it supports rather than replaces multilateralism and the UN system. He singled out the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine as particularly close to his heart.

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He said it is a group of countries working to end Russia's war of aggression, which he described as unlawful, unjustified, and unprovoked. He said the coalition works for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with the UN Charter.

Stubb said he hears the word "realignment" in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas, as nations seek new alliances and partnerships in response to uncertainty and transformation. He said regional integration is intensifying in a way reminiscent of the period immediately after World War II, and named the African Union, Gulf Cooperation Council, Mercosur, ASEAN, and the EU as examples that build trust.

He referred to the 1975 signing of the Helsinki Final Act, saying it brought together 35 nations in the midst of the Cold War and laid the foundations for what became the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. He said there was no trust, deep disagreement, and outright hostility, yet there was still room for a process that reduced tensions and built common ground.

He suggested the Middle East could consider something similar. Turning to the economic order, Stubb said trade, technology, energy, investment, and supply chains have become instruments of geopolitical competition.

He said the old assumption that interdependence would create stability and peace has given way to a world of coercion, where dependencies are vulnerabilities and chokepoints can be weaponized to pressure others. He said no nation, including the biggest ones, can go it alone, and that coercive actions always come at a cost.

He said the West must recognize the Global South and East as an expanding economic and political force, and called for an economic world order built on institutions and agreements. Stubb then moved to what he called three remedies for a world in disorder.

The first was a return to international law. He cited a Gandhi quotation from his recent visit to India: "The breach of one rule inevitably leads to the breach of other rules." He said the world has moved back to raw power and narrow self-interest, with rules and values taking a back seat.

He said some are ready to accept the defeat of the international rules-based order, but said that is an exaggeration because international law has been challenged before and has never been perfect. Still, he said the world is at a critical juncture because fundamental norms are being questioned in a way that erodes confidence in the multilateral system.

He said international law should be defended because it is about both values and interests, and should not be treated as merely an obstacle or a tool of domination. Stubb said the world may not become one without rules, but it could become one with less predictability and less restraint, with rules more permissive for the powerful.

He said the collective benefit of the nations in the Hall lies in defending the rule of law and its principles, including sovereignty, territorial integrity, freedom of navigation, and accountability for serious international crimes. His second remedy was humanitarian principles.

He said the world has an unprecedented capacity to meet humanity's needs, pointing to gains since the establishment of the UN in poverty reduction, education, literacy, and child survival. He also said tyranny, disregard for the vulnerable, and violence against civilians remain widespread.

Stubb said Sudan is devastated by war, with millions displaced and many facing famine. He said Gaza remains one of the world's most acute humanitarian emergencies, marked by mass displacement, destruction of infrastructure, and a lack of essential services.

He said Haiti struggles with armed violence and extreme weather events that have caused a displacement crisis, a hunger crisis, and a health crisis. His third remedy was language and the way people treat one another.

He said dismissive language is often used about others and entire groups, and that provocative rhetoric is rewarded with attention. He said excess is misinterpreted as courage and exaggeration as truth.

He said language can foster cooperation or break trust and turn competition into conflict. He called for avoiding polarization, strengthening trust, and listening to others, saying dignified foreign policy starts at the United Nations.

Stubb thanked UN Secretary-General António Guterres for his service and for his work reforming and rationalising the UN system, saying the effort must continue. He also referenced former secretaries-general U Thant and Kofi Annan as leaders who navigated great-power tensions.

He proposed reforms for a new secretary-general, saying he has repeatedly called for a reformed Security Council. He said the council should include at least two new permanent seats for Africa, two for Asia-Pacific, and one for Latin America, with no single state holding veto power.

He also said a member that violates the UN Charter should have its voting rights suspended. He said reform must also extend to the global economic architecture so that international economic co-operation remains rules-based, legitimate, and representative.

He said the United Nations should return to peace mediation and remain central to rule-making and institution-building, with regional integration and thematic coalitions supporting it. In his closing remarks, Stubb called artificial intelligence the most consequential technology in human history and said humans should stay in the driver's seat.

He said Norway and Finland, together with leaders from around the world, had launched a call for companies, governments, regional organisations, and the UN to develop mechanisms to control frontier AI models. He said Finland wants the United Nations to succeed and will remain strongly engaged.

He said Finland is standing for election to the Security Council from 2029 to 2030 and is motivated by the UN Charter and the values it represents, with a focus on peace, people, and partnerships.

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