New York: Describing humanity as entering a period of tremendous change, UN secretary general António Guterres called on leaders to work together toward global solutions to the myriad of challenges facing the world today.
In his opening address at the United Nations General Debate on Tuesday, António Guterres delivered a stern warning to world leaders:
“The state of our world is unsustainable. We can’t go on like this.”
“It is in all our interests to manage the epic transformations underway; to choose the future we want and to guide our world towards it.”
He went on to stress the importance of upholding the most basic principles and values shared by humanity.
“We are moving to a multipolar world, but we are not there yet. We are in a purgatory of polarity – and in this purgatory, more and more countries are filling the spaces of geopolitical divides, doing whatever they want with no accountability.
That is why it is more important than ever to reaffirm the Charter, to respect international law, to support and implement decisions of international courts, and to reinforce human rights in the world.”
Stressing that the challenges we face are solvable, the Secretary-General urged countries to join forces and promote dialogue to create a more sustainable future for all.
“Let’s move our world towards less impunity and more accountability; less inequality and more justice; less uncertainty and more opportunity.”
“The people of the world are looking to us – and succeeding generations will look back on us. Let them find us on the side of the United Nations Charter, on the side of our shared values and principles, and on the right side of history.”
