At the opening of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday (24), Secretary-General António Guterres summarized what he considers the main global challenges: impunity; inequality; and uncertainty.
“The challenges we face have solutions. But this requires us to ensure that international problem-solving mechanisms actually solve problems,” said Guterres.
Impunity
During his speech, the UN Secretary-General stated that war criminals currently have guarantees that they will not be held accountable for their actions. He also mentioned areas of conflict in different regions of the world, mainly Sudan, the Gaza Strip; and Ukraine.
“They can violate UN decisions, ignore international human rights conventions, as well as the decisions of international courts… And nothing will happen. We see impunity everywhere,” Guterres highlighted.
Inequality
Guterres also took stock of the concentration of wealth in the world in recent years, highlighting that the five richest men in the world have doubled their wealth in the last five years, while the richest 1% in the world hold 43% of all global financial assets. At the same time, according to Guterres, developing countries are still struggling to overcome the impacts caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Secretary-General also classified inequality as a “stain on our collective conscience”.
Uncertainty
Finally, the UN’s top authority classified uncertainty as the greatest risk to humanity today. At the top of the crises causing uncertainty cited is climate change. The Portuguese leader assessed that the world is experiencing a “climate meltdown”. Guterres estimated that, in order to limit global warming to 1.5ºC by 2035, rich countries need to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80%, and developing nations by 60%.
“We are in an era of epic transformations, with unprecedented challenges that demand global solutions. We are on the brink of the unimaginable. A threat that could end the world.”
To ensure these goals, Guterres assessed that global coordination for green initiatives is necessary. And he highlighted Brazil’s role in this agenda.
“I am honored to work closely with President Lula of Brazil – who is simultaneously President of the G20 and host of COP30 – to ensure maximum ambition, acceleration and cooperation. We have just met with this objective in mind,” concluded Guterres during his speech at the UN General Assembly.
This content was originally published in UN Chief Calls for Fight Against Impunity, Inequality and Uncertainty on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
