At the opening of the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on member states to restore confidence in an increasingly chaotic world where people do not feel safe.
"Today's world order is increasingly chaotic. Power relationships are less clear than before. Universal values are being eroded. Democratic principles are being held hostage. The rule of law is compromised."
"We are faced with a series of paradoxes. While the world is more interconnected than ever, societies are increasingly fragmented. Challenges are globalizing, and people are turning in on themselves. Multilateralism is under threat just when we need it most."
"The only way forward is collective action based on common sense, for the common good. That's how we'll restore trust."
According to the Secretary General, this is why "leaders have a duty to promote the well-being of their people". "But more needs to be done. Together, as guardians of the common good, we also have a duty to promote and support a reformed, reinvigorated and strengthened multilateral system", he added. "We must renew our commitment to a rules-based order that places the United Nations at its center, and relies on the institutions and treaties that give life to the Charter."
Climate change.
"We're at a turning point. If we don't change course in the next two years, we risk losing control of the situation. Climate change is moving faster than we are."
"We must be more ambitious and show greater urgency. We must ensure the implementation of the Paris Agreement", he added. In this climate agreement signed in 2015 in the French capital, world leaders pledged to ensure that the rise in temperatures does not exceed pre-industrial levels by 2 degrees Celsius and approaches 1.5 degrees.
The UN chief also expressed his concern that the recent negotiations in Bangkok on implementation guidelines for the Paris Agreement had ended without sufficient progress. He stressed the importance of the next Conference of the Parties (COP24), to be held in Poland in December. According to him, "the disagreements between Member States that paralyzed Copenhagen must not be repeated in Katowice". The UN chief considers it "essential to keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius". This is why he has decided to hold a Climate Summit in September to mobilize will and funds.
New technologies
Antonio Guterres said that new technologies hold "great promise", noting that rapidly evolving fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and biotechnology could drive progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. But these new technologies also carry risks and grave dangers.
"The technology is being misused by terrorists and for sexual exploitation and abuse. Organized criminal networks, lurking in the shadows of the web, take advantage of encryption and quasi-anonymous payments made in cryptocurrency to engage in human trafficking and smuggling."
"Malicious acts in cyberspace, such as disinformation campaigns, divide communities and undermine trust between states," he added. "More and more people are getting their information from sources or social networks that echo their views, reinforcing tribalism and assuring them that they are right and others are wrong" .
The UN chief also expressed concern about the "weaponization of artificial intelligence". "The prospect of weapons being able to select and attack targets on their own is a cause for concern, and could trigger a new arms race," he said.