2024-09-25 23:05:22
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that geopolitical divisions in the world are deepening and wars are on the rise. He urged to solve this problem quickly.
At the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday (September 24) local time, Antonio Guterres said, “We are facing a challenge that has never been seen before.” This problem needs to be solved quickly.
He said, ‘The geo-political divide is deepening. The world is warming. No idea how the wars will end. Nuclear and new weapons cast a dark shadow, which threatens to engulf the world. Humanity is in crisis.’
Calling the matter a whirlwind, the UN Secretary-General said, ‘I stand before you in the midst of this whirlwind with a belief in two overriding truths. First, the state of our world is unstable, we cannot continue like this. Second, the challenges we face are solvable. But, for this we need to ensure that international problem solving processes actually solve problems.’
The level of impunity in the world is politically inexplicable and morally intolerable, the UN Secretary-General said, noting that an increasing number of governments and others today consider themselves entitled to a ‘get out of jail free’ card. They can trample on international law. They may violate the UN Charter.
‘They may turn a blind eye to international human rights conventions or international court decisions. They can thumb their nose at international humanitarian law. They can invade other countries, destroy entire societies or completely ignore the welfare of their own people. We see this age of impunity everywhere—in the Middle East, in the heart of Europe, in the Horn of Africa and beyond.’
He said the war in Ukraine was spreading with no signs of stopping. Civilians are suffering. The time has come for a just peace based on the UN Charter, international law and UN resolutions. Meanwhile, Gaza is a constant nightmare, threatening to take the entire region with it. What is the situation in Lebanon! We should all be alarmed. I have repeatedly condemned both the heinous acts of terrorism and the hostage-taking by Hamas. Nothing else can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
The UN Secretary-General urged the international community to come together to call for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate unconditional release of all hostages and the initiation of an irreversible process towards a two-state solution.
He said, ‘My question for those who are undermining that goal with more settlements, more land grabbing, more incitement, what is the alternative? A brutal power struggle in Sudan has unleashed horrific violence, including widespread rape and sexual assault. A humanitarian disaster is looming as famine spreads.