Lavrov accuses UN Secretariat under Guterres of double standards and favoring Western states

# What Lavrov said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a news conference after participating in the high-level week of the 81st UN General Assembly that the current UN Secretariat, headed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, is failing to uphold the UN Charter. He said the Secretariat "promotes biased approaches and double standards, essentially serving a group of Western countries." Lavrov added that seven or eight of the most important positions in the Secretariat are occupied by citizens or nationals of NATO countries.

# Moscow's stated aim for the UN Lavrov said Moscow wants the United Nations to "genuinely become a center for coordinating the interests of all states, as required by its Charter." His remarks call for a Secretariat that operates in a more evenhanded way among member states rather than one perceived as aligned with particular governments.

# Staffing and influence concerns Lavrov singled out the nationality composition of senior Secretariat roles as evidence of Western tilt, citing that seven or eight top posts are held by nationals of NATO members. He framed that distribution as incompatible with the UN's role as an impartial, Charter-based body that should represent all member states.

# Related Russian positions at the UN

The comments came during the high-level week of the 81st UN General Assembly, a period when member states present positions on global issues and discuss institutional reforms. Russia used the platform to raise concerns about perceived bias within UN structures and to press for changes in leadership selection and Security Council composition.

# Practical implications Lavrov's statements signal that Russia will press for changes in UN leadership composition and for a Secretary-General it views as independent of specific state interests. They also indicate Moscow intends to keep Security Council reform—particularly seat allocation and proposals it characterizes as favoring Western states—on its diplomatic agenda.

# Takeaway for readers If you follow UN governance and multilateral diplomacy, Lavrov's remarks reflect an intensified Russian critique of Secretariat staffing and the selection of the next Secretary-General. Expect Moscow to link these points with broader proposals on Security Council reform and representation during diplomatic exchanges around the General Assembly session.