United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged countries to restore faith in multilateral cooperation, warning that conflict, inequality, climate change and threat of nuclear escalation are pushing the global system to its limits.
Opening the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Guterres said rebuilding trust in international institutions was “the defining challenge of our time.”
He called for stronger diplomacy and cooperation under newly elected General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman, whose presidency is centered on “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All.”
“In these tumultuous times, the global problem-solving system is more crucial than ever,” Guterres said, pointing to persistent poverty, record levels of displacement, worsening climate disruption and deepening humanitarian needs.
He also warned that artificial intelligence could bring both “great promise” and “great peril” without effective governance and transparency, including over its environmental impact.
At the same time, he said progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals remained sluggish as funding for aid and development was being cut.
Guterres said institutions ranging from the UN Security Council to the international financial system were struggling to respond to the scale of today’s crises. International law and human rights, he added, were too often being violated with impunity.
Despite the challenges, Guterres struck a hopeful tone as he addressed the Assembly for the final time as secretary-general.
He said the UN remained the place where the world’s most difficult problems could be confronted and urged member states to use diplomacy, dialogue and collaboration to deliver a more peaceful and sustainable future.
“The way forward is clear,” he said, endorsing the UN’s Pact for the Future and the UN80 Initiative as roadmaps for reform and renewed action.
