From conflict and economic downturn to disease and climate change, global problems require “more than ever” a strengthening of international cooperation, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told world leaders at the Paris Peace Forum on Sunday, commemorating 100 years since the end of the First World War. […]
“Our world at present seems chaotic, but it is moving towards multidimensional multipolarity,” explained Mr. Guterres, who stressed that “it would be wrong to regard this multipolarity, in and of itself, as the solution”.
“Without the multilateral system and respect for international rules, we risk a return solely to power relations, reward-sanction mechanisms and a cycle of frozen conflicts,” he said. “That is why I will not sit back and watch an assault on multilateralism just when it is most needed”.
The Secretary-General acknowledged that a multilateral commitment is difficult for political leaders to explain to their constituents, because “people often see what it dictates, not what it maintains”.
To tackle this, he called “for States to renew their citizens’ compacts,” and said “we need an inclusive multilateralism that is closely related to civil society and the business community,” looking to solve inequalities through the 2030 development agenda known as the Sustainable Development Goals.
“My mission is simple: to be more effective in order to better serve the people for whom we are a necessity and a hope,” the UN Secretary-General explained. Läs artikel