UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday sharply criticized global governance as being “stuck in time”, citing the United Nations Security Council itself and the Bretton Woods financial institutions as examples.
In his opening speech at the debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 78), Guterres emphasized that these two systems reflect the political and economic realities of 1945, when many countries now represented in the UN plenary were still under pressure. colonial rule.
“The world has changed. Our institutions have not. We cannot effectively solve the problems as they are if institutions do not reflect the world as it is. Instead of solving problems, they risk becoming part of the problem.” said Guterres, who has positioned himself as a strong advocate for reforms of international financial institutions and the UN Security Council, calling on Tuesday for the country’s expansion into the African Union.
According to the former Portuguese Prime Minister, a multipolar world needs strong and effective multilateral institutions, not a government that is stuck in time.
“We are increasingly closer to a Great Break in the economic and financial systems and commercial relationships; that threatens a single and open Internet; with diverse strategies in technology and artificial intelligence; and potentially conflicting security structures,” he said.
The time has come, Guterres said, to renew multilateral institutions based on the economic and political realities of the 21st century – rooted in equality, solidarity and universality and anchored in the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.
“This means that the Security Council must be reformed in line with today’s world. It means redesigning the international financial architecture so that it becomes truly universal and can serve as a global safety net for struggling developing countries.”he defended.
The head of the United Nations said he has “no illusions” that “reforms are a matter of power,” with “many competing interests and agendas” clashing with the need for change.
But the alternative to reform is not the “status quo,” he argued.
“The alternative to reform is greater fragmentation. It is reform or rupture,” said António Guterres, adding that democracy is under threat and authoritarianism is on the rise.
“As I said to the G20, it is time for a global commitment. (…) Leaders have a special responsibility to agree on building a common future of peace and prosperity for our common good,” he further said .
At the start of this year’s UNGA, Guterres took the opportunity to point directly to Derna, Libya, as an example of the “sad portrait” of a world full of inequality and injustice, where thousands of people were “victims of leaders – near and far”.
“Just nine days ago, many of the world’s challenges merged into a terrifying hellscape. Thousands of people in Derna have died in epic and unprecedented flooding. They have been victims many times: victims of years of conflict, of climate chaos, victims of leaders – near and far – who failed to find a path to peace.”he claimed.
‘The people of Derna lived and died at the epicenter of this indifference – as the sky dumped a hundred times as much rainfall per month in 24 hours, as the dams broke after years of war and neglect, as everything they knew was wiped from the map swept. Now, as we speak, bodies are arriving on the shores of the same Mediterranean where billionaires sunbathe on their superyachts,” he criticized.
Libyan authorities say 11,300 people have been killed and another 10,000 are missing, with estimates that the death toll could be as high as 20,000.
Derna, Guterres lamented, is a “sad portrait of the state of our world,” where “inequalities, injustices and the inability to face the challenges that arise in our midst” abound.
“Your Excellencies, our world is becoming out of balance,” he emphasized.
The high-level debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly began today in New York with the presence of dozens of heads of state and government from around the world, and will continue until the 26th.
Guterres says invasion of Ukraine “has created a world of uncertainty for everyone”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is “evidence” of a violation of the United Nations Charter and has created “a world of insecurity for all.”
In his speech, Guterres re-emphasized the war Russia had launched in Ukraine, at a time when he stressed the importance of the peace commitment enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
“Rather than an end to the scourge of war, we are witnessing a wave of conflict, coups and chaos. If all countries fulfilled their Charter obligations, the right to peace would be guaranteed.” he started saying.
“When countries break these commitments, they create a world of insecurity for all. Exhibit A: Russian invasion of Ukraine. The war, in violation of the United Nations Charter and international law, has unleashed a nexus of horror: lives destroyed; human rights violated, families torn apart; children traumatized; hopes and dreams destroyed,” said the UN leader.
Guterres’ speech precedes that of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy next Tuesday – and for the first time in person – at the UN General Assembly (GA), after participating remotely last year via a pre-recorded message.
In what is the second UN General Assembly since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022, Guterres devoted part of his speech to this conflict, arguing that it crosses Ukrainian borders and has “serious consequences for all of us.”
“Nuclear threats endanger us all. Ignoring global treaties and conventions makes us all less safe. And the poisoning of global diplomacy is hampering progress in every respect. We must not relent in working for peace – a just peace, in accordance with the United Nations.” Nations Charter and International Law,” he added.
The former Portuguese Prime Minister also defended the search for all possible ways to alleviate the suffering of civilians in Ukraine and elsewhere, citing as an example the Black Sea Grains Agreement, which served to export Ukrainian grains and Russian fertilizers during several months of war. but that has been suspended by decision of Moscow.
“The world urgently needs Ukrainian food and Russian food and fertilizers to stabilize markets and ensure food security. I will not give up my efforts to make this possible”he assured, receiving loud applause.
But as he had done last year, the UN Secretary-General drew the attention of the attending heads of state and government to other conflicts and humanitarian crises that are multiplying around the world, stating that “old tensions are worsening, while new risks arise.”
The conflicts mentioned by Guterres include a series of coups that are further destabilizing the Sahel as terrorism gains ground in that region; the large-scale civil war in Sudan; displacement and gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo; gang violence in Haiti; or the large proportion (70%) of Afghanistan’s population in need of humanitarian assistance, in addition to the rights of women and girls who are systematically denied.
The UN chief’s speech also addressed the cycles of violence, worsening poverty and repression in Myanmar; or the escalation of violence and deaths in the occupied Palestinian territories, impacting civilians.
“Unilateral actions intensify and undermine the possibility of a two-state solution – the only path to lasting peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis. Syria remains in ruins while peace remains distant. Meanwhile, disasters and natural resources are exacerbating the man-made disaster, the conflict,” he stressed.
“Faced with these growing crises, the global humanitarian system is on the brink of collapse. The needs are increasing. And funding is running out. Our humanitarian operations are being forced to make massive cuts. But if we don’t feed the hungry, we will fuel conflict. I call on all countries to step up and fund the Global Humanitarian Appeal.”he insisted.
Guterres argued that the peace and security architecture is under unprecedented pressure and called on states to recommit to a world without nuclear weapons and to put an end to the erosion of the arms control regime.
Western powers are expected to use their speeches at the UN to reaffirm their support for Kiev, but also to focus on the importance of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, one of the UN’s main focuses .
On the other hand, Russia – which was represented by the head of diplomacy, Serguei Lavrov, and who will speak on Saturday – is expected to use this event to attack the West for helping Kiev.
Planetary overheating is “the most immediate threat to our future”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres declared that the “most immediate threat to the human future” is the overheating of the planet, stressing that recorded climate changes are “just the beginning”.
Guterres called for “determination” in the fight against the planet’s overheating, stating that climate change is not just a change in the climate, but that it is changing life on the planet and killing and destroying communities.
“Around the world, we are seeing not only rising temperatures, but also accelerated sea level rise, retreating glaciers, the spread of deadly diseases, the extinction of species and cities under threat. And this is just the beginning.”he noticed.
“We just survived the hottest days, the hottest months and the hottest summer on record. Behind every broken record lie broken economies, broken lives and entire countries on the brink of collapse. Every continent, every region and all countries are feeling the heat. But I’m not sure all leaders are feeling the heat,” he said.
The former Portuguese Prime Minister, who has the climate and environment agenda as one of the priorities of his mandate, argued that actions to stop this crisis “fall terribly short” of what was expected.
Source: DN
