reference to the Our common agenda Report – a blueprint for global cooperation and revived multilateralism – he attested to the strengthening of multilateralism is his “top priority”.
“Through the darkest times of the Cold War, collective decision-making and ongoing dialogue in the Security Council sustained a workable, albeit imperfect, system of collective security,” which to date has prevented major-power military conflicts, he said.
“Dramatic” developing conflict
However, the top UN official continued, “the conflict has developed dramatically”.
Pointing to fundamental changes in the way wars are fought, by who and where, as well as cheaper and more sophisticated lethal weapons, he warned that “humanity has the ability to annihilate itself completely”.
The climate crisis and digital technologies that spread misinformation and hate speech also contribute to this.
“Cyberspace, supply chains, migration, information, trade and financial services, and investment” are being weaponized, Mr. Guterres continued.
“The framework conditions for global cooperation have not kept pace with this development. Our toolbox, standards and approaches need to be updated.”
peace agenda
reference to the UN75 declarationhe made recommendations to address this, beginning with a New Agenda for Peace, which he will present to member states next year.
According to the Secretary-General, the agenda will be “long-term and broad-based”; talk about local, national, regional and international security challenges; and offer the opportunity to take stock and change course, because “business as usual does not mean that everything stays the same”.
“In a world where the only certainty is uncertainty, it means things are almost certainly going to get a lot worse.”
In addition, the agenda will articulate the work of the Organization for Peace and Security; set out a comprehensive prevention approach; linking peace, sustainable development, climate protection and food security; and consider how the UN adapts to cyber threats, information warfare, and other forms of conflict.
It will also reach out to Member States to strengthen multilateral solutions and steer geopolitical competition; call for new norms, regulations and accountability mechanisms; and consider how to work with non-state actors.
pioneering deeds
“The Black Sea Grain Initiative shows that the United Nations still has a unique and important role in brokering solutions to global challenges,” said the UN chief, urging member states “to build on and embrace such innovative approaches.” extend”.
He noted that the General Assembly passed many important resolutions this year, including those on the war in Ukraine, the right to a healthy environment and the use of the Council’s veto power.
And in the context of multilateralism, the UN chief drew attention to what was proposed Biennial Summit between the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the leaders of the G20, himself and international financial institutions as “an important step towards better coordination of global governance and the creation of a global financial system fit for today’s world”.
“The challenge ahead is clear… to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war… with a revived multilateralism that is effective, representative and inclusive,” he added.
Secretary-General António Guterres (third from right at table) addresses the Security Council meeting on maintaining international peace and security, with emphasis on a reorientation of reformed multilateralism.
turning point
UN General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi told ambassadors the world is at a “historic crossroads” at which international rules, norms, instruments and institutions that have guided relations for over 75 years face profound, existential questions relevant time when the world needs it most”.
Emerged from the COVID-19 In the face of the pandemic, and in the face of the climate crisis, ongoing debt and food and energy emergencies, he said one thing was clear: “These global challenges are far too great for any nation to tackle alone.”
“Our only hope is always to find a multilateral solution.”
Confront the council
However, inaction and sharp geopolitical divisions have prevented reactions and progress in the Security Council.
Recalls that the Council is expected to “act for the good of all [and] to maintain UN Charter‘ he asked, ‘will these cracks continue to affect your collective ability to maintain international peace and security?’
He cited the war in Ukraine as an example of “collective action failed” and pointed out that “not a single Council resolution has been adopted to mitigate the very kind of crisis that the UN was created to prevent.”
Csaba Kőrösi, President of the seventy-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly, addresses the Security Council meeting on maintaining international peace and security, with a focus on a reorientation of reformed multilateralism.
Raison d’être
For the UN to prove its relevance, it must provide solutions, the Assembly President continued.
“The people we serve don’t organize their lives neatly into boxes labeled ‘human rights’, ‘development’ and ‘peace,'” he argued. “It is our responsibility … to respond to this … across boards, bodies and processes – and to build on efforts already underway.”
He said the Security Council’s veto opened a door for a new form of cooperation and accountability, as the General Assembly has an obligation to fight back when decisions are blocked.
“I will convene a formal debate on the use of the veto in the General Assembly in 2023… and how we can make our two bodies work more closely together and fulfill their function to support both peace and prosperity,” Mr. Kőrösi told the council With .
“Step Beyond the Force”
He stressed the importance of the Security Council and the General Assembly working together to ensure safety and well-being, ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance, strengthen inclusive peace processes and ensure protection from conflict-related sexual violence.
“Dead end means dead end for millions of children, women, men and families, all suffering the consequences,” stressed the senior UN official. “They trust us to go beyond the power dynamic.”
He concluded by imploring the ambassadors to give priority to dialogue and diplomacy; trade political differences for political will to find a solution; and focus on what connects us.
