UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim meet on the sidelines of the ASEAN-UN summit in Kuala Lumpur. UN Secretary General at the ASEAN Summit: Cooperation is the key to peace, justice and a sustainable future Economic Development
At the 15th ASEAN-UN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, the UN Secretary-General delivered a keynote speech highlighting the strategic importance of the partnership between the UN and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He called ASEAN a “beacon of cooperation” and noted that with Timor-Leste joining the organization, the spirit of regional unity has become even stronger.
The UN chief identified four key areas of interaction: peace and conflict prevention, sustainable development and financial justice, climate action, as well as digital transformation and cybersecurity.
Peace and prevention conflicts
The Secretary General thanked the ASEAN countries for their active participation in UN peacekeeping missions and especially noted Malaysia’s role in facilitating the ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand. He called for respect for international law in the South China Sea and expressed deep concern about the situation in Myanmar, where fighting continues, lives are being lost, millions have been displaced and humanitarian needs are rapidly growing. “I strongly condemn the bloodshed and call on all parties to cease hostilities, protect civilians, unhindered humanitarian access and begin an inclusive political process,” he said, emphasizing the need to release those arbitrarily detained, including democratically elected leaders.
Financial Justice and Sustainable development
The UN Secretary General drew attention to growing inequality and the debt burden that is “strangling” developing countries. Guterres called for urgent reform of the global financial architecture to ensure that international financial institutions reflect modern reality and ensure greater participation from developing countries, including ASEAN states, which he said are “grossly underrepresented.”
60~strong>Climate action
Ahead of the COP30 climate conference in Brazil, the UN chief called on countries to submit ambitious national contributions to cut emissions and accelerate the transition to renewable energy. He noted that ASEAN states are facing floods, droughts, rising sea levels and smog, which threaten the region’s food security, health and economy.
Digital transformation and combating cybercrime
The Secretary General called artificial intelligence “a powerful tool for inclusive development.” In this regard, he recalled the launch of two UN initiatives: the International Scientific Panel on AI and the annual Global Dialogue on AI Governance, which should bring together science, policy and practice, giving a voice to every country. The UN chief emphasized the need to combat transnational organized crime, including cyber fraud, assuring that the UN Office on Drugs and Crime will continue to provide support to the countries of the region. At the end of his speech, Guterres called on the forum participants to continue to prove through their actions that cooperation is the most powerful engine of peace and progress, both in Southeast Asia and throughout the world. “The UN is proud to be your partner,” said the Secretary General.