In his traditional new year address to the General Assembly setting out his key priorities for the global organization, the UN chief acknowledged the “turmoil of our world” and conceded that “it is understandable to get overwhelmed”. Nonetheless, Mr. Guterres urged delegates to “never lose sight of progress and potential”,...
Mr. Guterres will meet Lebanese political leaders. He is also expected to travel to the south to see the UN peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, and express his support and thanks for the work they have been doing in very challenging circumstances. Congratulation call UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Secretary-General spoke...
Reflecting on 2024, he stated that “hope has been hard to find”, with wars causing enormous pain, suffering and displacement, and inequalities and divisions fuelling tensions and mistrust. “And today I can officially report that we have just endured a decade of deadly heat,” he said. ‘No time to lose’...
That’s the warning from UN Secretary-General António Guterres speaking to reporters in New York on Thursday morning. He said there is “a real risk that progress could unravel,” without an “inclusive, credible and peaceful” political transition that is Syrian led, on behalf of all its citizens. “The people of Syria stand...
Mr. Guterres was speaking on Wednesday to reporters in Pretoria, South Africa, where he met with Government officials in connection with the country’s presidency of the G20 group of industrial nations. ‘Signs of hope’ “As we speak, we are witnessing the reshaping of the Middle East, with the changes in...
“It is a moment of great importance, especially for the civilians who were paying an enormous price for the fact that this conflict is not only dragging on, but is also gaining increasingly worrying dimensions,” he said. The Secretary-General was speaking in the Portuguese capital at a joint press conference...
Having just returned from the G20 Summit in Rio, Mr. Guterres shared the resounding message he delivered there: an ambitious climate finance goal is not only essential, but urgent. “Failure is not an option,” he emphasized, warning that the result of inaction could be catastrophic. Just 24 hours before COP29...
António Guterres was speaking to reporters on the eve of the opening of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in the Brazilian city. ‘A simple message’ “I have come to Rio with a simple message: G20 leaders must lead,” he said. “G20 countries – by definition – have tremendous economic clout. They...
“You have every right to be angry. I am angry too,” the UN chief posted on social media on Thursday following his meeting with youth representatives and young environmental activists. “I am angry because we are on the verge of the climate abyss, and I don’t see enough urgency or...
“The sound you hear is the ticking clock. We are in the final countdown to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And time is not on our side,” he warned. In his opening remarks to the World Leaders Climate Action Summit, the ministerial-level segment of COP29, which officially...
He urged the bloc to help forge a more equitable global finance system, boost climate action, improve access to technology and work towards peace, particularly in Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine and Sudan. BRICS was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, who were later jointed by South Africa, Iran,...
“Civilians must be respected and protected at all times” and the UN chief “remains deeply alarmed by the rapidly deteriorating situation for civilians in northern Gaza, including mass displacement and the lack of essentials for survival,” said UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, briefing reporters in New York. Mr. Guterres called...