UN Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the general debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly

UN Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the general debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly

The general debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly officially opened on Tuesday in the General Assembly Hall. In his opening remarks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a world to reduce impunity, strengthen accountability, reduce inequality and uncertainty, strengthen justice and increase opportunity. He said that the people of the world are looking up to us, and future generations will judge us. He called on people to stand on the side of the Charter of the United Nations, on the side of our common values and principles, and on the right side of history.

The world is in a whirlpool

Guterres said our world is in a whirlpool. We are in an era of epic change, facing challenges we have never seen before, and challenges that require global solutions. However, geopolitical divisions are deepening. The planet continues to heat up. The war is getting worse and worse, but we don't know how to end it. The nuclear posture and new weapons cast a shadow. We are moving towards an unimaginable situation, a powder keg that threatens to swallow the world.

He said bluntly that one must face up to three major factors that contribute to unsustainability: a world of impunity – where violations and violations threaten the very foundations of international law and the UN Charter; an unequal world – injustice and discontent threaten to weaken the state and even push it to the margins; A world of uncertainty – unmanaged global risks threaten our future in unknowable ways.

Impunity

Guterres said that impunity in the world is politically indefensible and morally intolerable. Today, more and more governments and others believe that they are entitled to an exemption card without penalty. They can trample on international law. They can violate the Charter of the United Nations. They can turn a blind eye to international human rights conventions or rulings of the International Court of Justice. They can scoff at international humanitarian law. They can invade another country, ravage an entire society, or have complete disregard for the well-being of their own people.

He noted that this impunity is everywhere in the Middle East, in the heart of Europe, in the Horn of Africa and elsewhere. The war in Ukraine is spreading and shows no signs of abating. Civilians are paying the price, with death tolls rising and lives and communities shattered. The time has come to achieve a just peace in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, international law and United Nations resolutions.

At the same time, he noted that Gaza is an endless nightmare that threatens to drag the entire region into it. Lebanon is on the brink. Neither the people of Lebanon, nor the people of Israel nor the people of the world can allow Lebanon to become another Gaza.

Call for a ceasefire in Gaza

Guterres said there is no justification for Hamas's heinous acts of terror or hostage-taking committed on October 7. He has repeatedly condemned both acts. There can also be no justification for the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. The speed and scale of the massacre and destruction in Gaza is unprecedented in his years as Secretary-General.

He said more than 200 UN staff members themselves had been killed, many of them along with their families. He paid special tribute to UNRWA and all the humanitarians in Gaza.

He said that the international community must mobilize for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and the start of an irreversible process to achieve a two-state solution.

Ease tensions in Sudan and other hot spots

In Sudan, Guterres said the brutal power struggle has led to appalling violence, including widespread rape and sexual assault. As famine spreads, a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding. However, outside forces continue to interfere and there is no unified approach to peace. In the Sahel, where the threat of terrorism has expanded dramatically and rapidly, and joint action based on solidarity has been required, regional and international cooperation has broken down. From Myanmar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from Haiti to Yemen and beyond, we continue to witness appalling violence and human suffering in the absence of a solution for a long time.

He said that the Cold War, despite its dangers, also had rules, with hotlines, red lines and "guardrails." Today, we don't seem to have such rules. We are in the midst of a world divided in purgatory. In this purgatory, more and more countries are filling the geopolitical divide and doing whatever they want without any responsibility. That is why it is more important than ever to reaffirm the Charter, to respect international law, to support and implement the decisions of the International Court of Justice and to strengthen human rights.

Eliminate inequalities

Rising inequality is the second driver of unsustainable development and a stain on our collective conscience, Guterres said.

He noted that the world has yet to recover from the surge in inequality caused by the pandemic. One-third of the world's poorest 75 countries are worse off today than they were five years ago. Over the same period, the wealth of the five richest people in the world more than doubled. The richest 1% of the world's people own 43% of global financial assets. At the national level, some governments have exacerbated inequality by cutting large taxes for businesses and the super-rich, while reducing investment in healthcare, education, and social security. Women and girls around the world suffer the most.

Rampant sexism and abuse, he said, is the most pervasive inequality in all societies. Every day, we seem to be confronted with more disgusting cases of femicide, gender-based violence and mass rape, both in peacetime and as a weapon of war.

He said that in some countries, laws were being used to threaten reproductive health and rights. In Afghanistan, laws are being used to target the systemic oppression of women and girls. He noted with regret that, despite years of talking, gender inequality was visible in this Hall. In this week's general debate, less than 10% of the speakers were women.

Calls for reform of the Council and other institutions

Guterres said that the UN Security Council was designed by the victorious countries of World War II. At that time, most of Africa was still under colonial rule. To this day, Africa does not have a permanent seat on the world's most important peace council. This must change.

The global financial architecture established 80 years ago must also change, he said. Over the past eight decades, the global economy has grown and transformed. The Bretton Woods institutions have not kept pace. They can no longer provide a global safety net or provide the support needed by developing countries. Currently, on average, the world's poorest countries spend more on debt interest than they invest in education, health and infrastructure combined. And around the world, more than 80% of the SDGs are off track.

He noted that to get back on track, significant funding for the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement is necessary. This means G20 countries leading the way in providing $500 billion a year in SDG stimulus finance, which means reforming to dramatically increase the lending capacity of multilateral development banks so that they can massively increase affordable long-term climate and development finance, which means scaling up emergency financing through the recovery of SDRs, which means facilitating long-term debt restructuring.

Increased uncertainty

Guterres said uncertainty is fuelled by the climate crisis and the rapid development of technology, especially artificial intelligence. We are in the midst of climate breakdown. Extreme temperatures, raging fires, droughts, and epic floods are not natural disasters. They are a catastrophe for humanity – fueled by a growing number of fossil fuels.

No country is immune, he said, but the poorest and most vulnerable are hit the hardest. Climate disasters are wreaking havoc on the budgets of many African countries, costing up to 5% of GDP each year.

He noted that we are running towards the global limit of a 1.5-degree rise in temperature. However, as the problem grows, the solution grows. The price of renewable energy is falling dramatically, the pace of adoption is accelerating, and people's lives are being transformed by affordable, easy-to-use clean energy. Renewable energy is more than just generating electricity. They have created jobs, wealth, energy security and a path out of poverty for millions of people.

He said a future without fossil fuels is certain. By next year, every country will have to develop an ambitious new national climate action plan – or "nationally determined contribution". These plans must integrate national energy strategies, sustainability priorities and climate ambitions. These plans must comply with the 1.5-degree limit, covering the entire economy.

Guterres said we need a loss and damage fund that can handle the scale of the challenge, and developed countries must meet their adaptation finance commitments. He called on G20 countries to shift funding away from fossil fuel subsidies and investments to a just energy transition, set an effective carbon price, and implement new and innovative sources of financing through legally binding and transparent mechanisms, including solidarity levies on fossil fuel extraction. He pointed out that those responsible must pay and polluters must pay the price.

Increased risk

Guterres said the rapid rise of new technologies poses another unpredictable existential risk. AI will transform almost everything we know – from work, education, and communication, to culture and politics. "AI is advancing rapidly, but where is it taking us?" he asked. More freedom, or more conflict? Is it a more sustainable world, or a more unequal world? Is it to make people more informed or to manipulate people's wills more? ”

He said that a small number of companies and even individuals already have enormous power over the development of AI, but there is little accountability or oversight. He stressed that without a global approach to governance, AI could lead to an artificial total division – two internets, two markets, two economies – with each country being forced to choose a side, with huge consequences for all.

He supported the United Nations as a global platform for dialogue and consensus. Based on the values of the UN Charter and international law, the United Nations is uniquely positioned to promote AI cooperation. Two General Assembly resolutions, the Global Digital Compact and the recommendations of the High-Level Body on AI can lay the groundwork for inclusive governance of AI. "Let's move forward together and make AI a force for good," he appealed. ”

International solidarity

Guterres said that today's divisions and divisions are too great. It seems impossible for us to come together for the common good. But that's not the case. The Summit of the Future shows that in a spirit of dialogue and compromise, we can join hands and steer our world towards a more sustainable path.