New York - Beirut: Europe and the Arabs
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, said that the world today is in a state of turmoil, and that "our actions - or our inaction - have unleashed the evils of a modern Pandora's box," four of which stand out because they represent "at best threats that could disrupt every aspect of our agenda, and at worst, turn our existence upside down," namely raging conflicts, rampant inequalities, the raging climate crisis, and out-of-control technology.
This came in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly yesterday, Wednesday, where the Secretary-General set his priorities for the new year, stressing the urgent need for collective action and international cooperation to address the world's most pressing challenges.
As the organization celebrates its 80th anniversary, Guterres said that the United Nations has represented the "global conscience" since its inception, and in a world "that seems bent on destruction, our organization has been a force for construction." He said that the organization reflects a fundamental truth that "global problems require global solutions." The Secretary-General began his remarks by listing recent progress in addressing major global challenges – such as promoting girls’ education and investing in clean energy – and rays of hope, particularly from the Middle East, where negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza have reached their final stages and Lebanon has finally elected a president after more than two years of deadlock.

This spirit of hope rooted in action “must propel us forward,” Guterres said, adding that “the good news is that we have the plans to meet these challenges. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. We need to get the wheel moving.”

Reshaping the Middle East

Mr. Guterres said conflicts around the world were multiplying, deepening geopolitical divisions and mistrust were “adding fuel to the fire,” while the nuclear threat was at its highest level in decades and impunity was widespread.

The Secretary-General strongly appealed to the parties to conclude a ceasefire in Gaza and release the hostages. “Of course, nothing can justify the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas on 7 October. Nothing can justify the dramatic levels of death and destruction inflicted on the Palestinian people, where there has been no ceiling to the suffering and no bottom to the horrors for months,” he said.

“Across the region, we are witnessing the reshaping of the Middle East. What is less clear is what will emerge,” Mr. Guterres added.

He asked whether there would be irreversible steps taken to achieve a two-state solution or “will we instead see steadfast annexation by Israel, the denial of the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people, and the destruction of any chance for sustainable peace?”
He also asked whether Syria would be “a beacon of diverse faiths, traditions and communities shaping an inclusive, free and peaceful future,” or fall into fragmentation, and whether Iran would take concrete steps to ensure a clear abandonment of any nuclear weapons program, or would we see an escalation “with unpredictable consequences.”

“Across the region, we must deny extremists a veto over a peaceful future,” he said.
As he prepares to leave for Lebanon, the Secretary-General stressed that “a window has opened for a new era of institutional stability, with a State fully capable of protecting its citizens, and a system that allows the enormous potential of the Lebanese people to flourish.” He said the Organization will do its utmost to keep this window “wide open – a window that allows both Lebanese and Israelis to live in safety.”
He said there is also “a world of pain beyond the Middle East,” including in Ukraine, Sudan, the Sahel, Haiti and many other places.
“From Myanmar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Yemen and far beyond, we must continue to work for peace,” he said, including by strengthening the commitments made in the Charter for the Future, including through conflict prevention and peacebuilding, strengthening peacekeeping, and the inclusion of women, among other pledges.
Tackling inequalities
Guterres said that the huge inequalities are “an unmistakable signal that something is deeply wrong” with the world’s social, economic, political and financial systems.
He said inequalities can be overcome, starting with accelerating action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, as fewer than five of these goals are still on track, while the plan faces an annual financing gap of four trillion dollars.

He called for a focus on high-impact areas such as poverty eradication, food security, quality education for all, social protection, universal health coverage, access to energy, digitalization, and mitigating climate impacts. He stressed the importance of addressing the needs of Africa in particular, and called for clear support to stimulate the Sustainable Development Goals to close the financing gap.
He also called for reforming and modernizing global financial institutions to reflect today’s economy, and ensuring fair representation of developing countries. He said: “We must also fight inequalities by reforming and modernizing global financial institutions to reflect today’s economy – not the economy of 1945. Developing countries must be fairly represented in the governance of the institutions on which they depend.”
Guterres stressed the need to strengthen the global safety net, increase the lending capacity of multilateral development banks, and ensure that concessional financing is deployed where it is most needed. He also called for expanding opportunities for women and girls as the world seeks to address inequalities, including by removing all legal, social and economic barriers, and ensuring their equal participation and leadership.
An existential threat
Guterres said that the “Pandora’s box” has also unleashed the climate crisis that is devastating our world, as was recently demonstrated in Los Angeles.

“Who is paying for climate devastation around the world? It is not the fossil fuel industry, which reaps profits and taxpayer subsidies while its products wreak havoc. It is ordinary people who suffer in their lives and livelihoods, with skyrocketing insurance premiums, volatile energy bills, and high food prices, especially the most vulnerable, who are least at fault for unleashing this devastation,” he asked.

He called for a rapid and fair phase-out of fossil fuels, and stressed the importance of climate finance, including implementing the COP29 agreement on financing, and mobilizing support for just energy transitions.

“The math is clear: global emissions must peak this year and fall rapidly thereafter if we are to have any hope of limiting long-term global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees,” he said.

Mr. Guterres urged countries to submit new national climate action plans consistent with this goal, and called for clear targets for reducing fossil fuel production and consumption. “The 1.5 degree battle cannot be won without a rapid, just and financed global phase-out of fossil fuels,” he added.

Technology for Good

While acknowledging the unprecedented opportunities presented by the technological revolution, the Secretary-General said we have a historic responsibility to ensure that this revolution “benefits humanity, not just a privileged few.”

He called for equal access to the latest knowledge and insights on AI, and proposed the creation of an independent International Scientific Commission on AI to bridge knowledge gaps and inform policy decisions.

Guterres also stressed the need for ethical, safe and secure governance of AI. He called for a global dialogue on AI governance to develop coordinated policies, share best practices and ensure interoperability.
He highlighted the importance of supporting developing countries in leveraging AI for sustainable development, and announced plans to report on innovative financing models and capacity-building initiatives to help the Global South harness AI for good.
“Humanity must have a firm grip on technology,” he said. “As AI reshapes our world, every nation must help shape AI. Together, let us ensure that AI serves its highest purpose: to advance human progress, equality and dignity.”

A message of hope

Using the myth of “Pandora’s box,” Mr. Guterres said that after the horrors escaped from the box, there was nothing left but hope. “There is a lesson in this for our time,” he said. “We must never lose hope, and work to lift the lid on that hope by working to make it real, to help it spread, to stand firm, to speak the truth and never give up. In our 80th year, let us build a more peaceful, just and prosperous world that we know – despite everything – is within reach.”