Source: in-cyprus.philenews.com
UN Secretary-General António Guterres used his final address to the General Assembly on Tuesday to call for an end to wars, tighter global oversight of artificial intelligence, stronger climate action and deep reform of international institutions.
The former Portuguese prime minister, whose second five-year term ends on December 31, used the speech to sum up the priorities that have defined his decade at the head of the UN: peace, multilateral cooperation, climate action and international governance of new technologies.
He placed particular emphasis on AI, calling on the countries leading its development to share information on the most serious security risks, cooperate on testing and evaluating systems, and agree on common safeguards. He also urged the United States and China to work together on managing AI risks, as the Security Council prepares to discuss the technology’s implications for international security, with senior industry executives due to take part.
On the Middle East, Guterres reaffirmed his support for a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, warning that the prospect must not be allowed to disappear. He said all sides must respect international law and the decisions of the International Criminal Court (ICC); his reference to the two-state solution drew prolonged applause in the chamber. On the wider regional crisis and threats to shipping, he called for de-escalation and dialogue, saying fighting must stop, humanitarian aid must be allowed to flow, and the right to free navigation must be fully restored under international law.
Returning to climate change, Guterres called for polluters to pay for the damage they cause and directly criticised the fossil fuel industry. He accused oil companies of treating the atmosphere as a dumping ground for years and said fossil-fuel interests would not retreat without political intervention, calling on governments to draw up national plans to phase out fossil fuels.
A significant part of the speech was devoted to the functioning of the UN itself and the wider international system. Guterres warned that mechanisms for collective action were under growing pressure and said many international institutions still reflected the power balances of a bygone era. His remarks come amid intense debate over the UN’s effectiveness and funding, after the Trump administration cut funding to and withdrew from a series of UN organisations and mechanisms.
Closing his final General Assembly address as UN chief, Guterres sent a personal message to the leaders he has worked with over the past decade. He said that, wherever he is and whatever he does next, he would continue to defend his conviction that “peace is achievable,” adding that he would keep fighting for the UN’s values.
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