Guterres sets out debt priorities at borrowers’ council’s first meeting

United Nations Press said UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a shift in the global debt system in a video message to the first meeting of the Borrowers’ Platform Governing Council in Bangkok on 12 October 2026. According to United Nations Press, Guterres argued that addressing debt crises required correcting power imbalances in the system. [1]

United Nations Press reported that Guterres’s first two proposed priorities for the platform were to build its capacity through member countries’ engagement and political support, and to engage with other debt actors, including international financial institutions, the G7 and the Paris Club. United Nations Press reported that Guterres’s third proposed priority was for the platform to provide members facing debt crises with advice, tools and solutions on debt swaps and pauses, dealing with investors and ratings agencies, and navigating sovereign debt restructuring when necessary. [1]

United Nations Press reported that Guterres presented these as his three proposed priorities for the platform and said the platform could become a lasting forum that helps countries negotiate debt solutions from a stronger position. [1]