UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Tuesday at the opening of the General Assembly debate that the war in Ukraine is a “threat to the future of humanity” but avoided any direct condemnation of Russia.
In a speech on the great problems that affect the world order, Guterres was expected to focus on the situation in Ukraine and the UN secretary general preferred to point out possible understandings to resolve the conflict by pointing to the agreement, in which the United Nations participates. and Turkey. ., to get rid of grain accumulated in Ukrainian ports since the beginning of the war.
“As we come together in a world full of turmoil, an image of promise and hope comes to mind: the ship ‘Brave Commander’. It was sailing in the Black Sea with the UN flag raised proudly. On the one hand, it What to see is a ship like any other that sails the seas. But take a closer look. Deep down, this ship is a symbol of what the world can achieve when we act together,” Guterres said at the opening of his speech.
“It is loaded with Ukrainian grain for the people of the Horn of Africa. It sailed through a war zone, guided by the warring parties themselves, as part of an unprecedented radical initiative to obtain more food and fertilizer. Ukraine and Russian Federation – with the support of Turkey – converged to make this happen, despite the enormous complexities, the opponents and even the hell of war. Some might call it a miracle at sea. In fact, it is multilateral diplomacy in action,” he said. .
Emphasizing that the war has unleashed widespread destruction, with massive violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, Guterres called reports about cemeteries in Izium, a city in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine, “extremely worrying.”
According to local authorities, 443 graves were discovered in Izium, including one containing the bodies of 17 Ukrainian soldiers and an inscription reading “Ukrainian Army, 17 people. Izium, morgue.”
“The fighting has cost thousands of lives. Millions have been displaced. Billions of millions around the world have been affected. We are seeing the threat of dangerous divisions between the West and the South. The risks to global peace and security are immense. continue. work for peace in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law,” he appealed.
However, in the opinion of the former Portuguese Prime Minister, the international community “is neither prepared nor willing to face the great dramatic challenges of our times”, “crises that threaten the very future of humanity and the destiny of our planet, such as the war in Ukraine and the multiplication of conflicts around the world”.
Still on the direct consequences of the conflict in Ukraine, the United Nations leader stressed the need for the world to unite to alleviate the world food crisis and “urgently address” the crisis in the world fertilizer market, and called for “removing obstacles ” for export of Russian fertilizers.
“This year the world has enough food, the problem is distribution. But if the fertilizer market does not stabilize, next year the problem may be the food supply itself. (…) It is essential to continue removing all remaining obstacles to the export of Russian fertilizers and their ingredients, including ammonia,” he said.
“These products are not subject to sanctions, and we are making progress in eliminating the indirect effects. Another big concern is the impact of high gas prices on the production of nitrogenous fertilizers. This must also be taken seriously. No action now, The fertilizer industry shortage will quickly become a global food shortage,” he warned.
In Guterres’ words, “a winter of global discontent is on the horizon” and humanity is “trapped in colossal global dysfunction.”
The United Nations leader alluded to the need to create dialogue mechanisms to overcome divisions.
“That is why I have outlined elements of a new Agenda for Peace in my report on ‘Our Common Agenda.’ The United Nations”. Nations,” he announced.
In this sense, Guterres called for women to lead and participate in the entire process, as well as prevention and peacebuilding.
“This means strengthening strategic foresight, anticipating hotspots that may erupt into violence, and addressing emerging threats posed by cyber warfare and lethal autonomous weapons. It means expanding the role of regional groups, strengthening peacekeeping, intensify disarmament and proliferation, prevent and combat terrorism, and ensure accountability, and it means recognizing human rights as fundamental to prevention,” he stressed.
The high-level debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly began today in New York, with the presence of heads of state and government from around the world, and will last until the end of the week, with the war of Russia in Ukraine in focus.
Western powers are expected to use their UN speeches to reaffirm their support for kyiv and seek more pressure on the Kremlin from countries with vacant seats, particularly Africans.
On the other hand, Russia is expected to use this event to try to undermine the US and European war narrative.
Last week, after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Guterres had already admitted that a peace agreement in Ukraine “is still a long way off”, a view that was expressed in today’s speech.
While Guterres did not use his speech today to condemn Russian actions, he is expected to make a more forceful statement during a Security Council meeting on the war scheduled for Wednesday to which Russia’s foreign ministers have been invited. and Ukraine.
Source: TSF
