UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. UN chief: global reforms could begin today UN
“I have one overriding message today: a call for Member States to show a spirit of compromise.” The UN Secretary-General made this statement on Wednesday, just days before the start of the Future Summit and the opening of the General Assembly’s general debate. He noted that the discussion of the Summit’s outcome documents is in its final stages.
During his traditional annual press conference ahead of the High-Level Week at the UN headquarters in New York, António Guterres stressed that “international challenges are evolving faster than we can address them.”
“We see unchecked geopolitical differences and ongoing conflicts – not least in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and beyond. Climate change continues. Inequality reigns and debt continues to rise. New technologies, such as artificial intelligence, are rapidly developing without control or limits,” he continued.
“And our institutions are simply not up to the task,” the UN chief said.
“Many of the challenges we face today were not on our radar 80 years ago, when our multilateral institutions were created,” Guterres explained.
Change will not happen overnight, he said, but it can start now.
“And when we look at the work that has already been done in preparation for the Future Summit, we see movement in the right direction,” the Secretary-General said. He noted plans to reform the Security Council and “the most concrete step towards expanding the Council’s membership since 1963.” The Secretary-General also highlighted measures to govern new technologies, including artificial intelligence, as well as a step forward in reforming the international financial architecture and in financing the Sustainable Development Goals.
“To lose this would be a tragedy,” he stressed.
Guterres called on Member States to do everything possible to ensure that the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations are signed.
“The Future Summit is an important first step towards making global institutions more legitimate, effective and fit for the world of today and tomorrow,” he stressed.
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