\u2018Little wonder\u2019 people are losing faith in governments: Antonio Guterres
\nDAVOS
\nGeopolitical divides are hampering efforts to tackle issues like the climate crisis and unregulated developments in artificial intelligence, the UN secretary-general said on Wednesday.
\nIn his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Antonio Guterres said that while the worsening climate crisis and AI-related risks were discussed at length at global and regional forums, the world lacked an effective strategy to deal with either.
\n\u201cGeopolitical divides are preventing us from coming together around global solutions,\u201d he said. \u201cLittle wonder that people everywhere are losing faith in governments, institutions and financial and economic systems.\u201d
\nSome countries, he said, were \u201cdoing whatever it takes to further their own interests at all costs.\u201d
\nGuterres pointed to the many conflicts that are fragmenting the world, including the war in Gaza, Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine and the violence in Sudan, and said the parties driving them were \u201cignoring international law, trampling on the Geneva Conventions and even violating the United Nations Charter.\u201d
\n\u201cThe world is standing by as civilians, mostly women and children, are killed, maimed, bombarded, forced from their homes and denied access to humanitarian aid.\u201d
\nGuterres reiterated his call for a ceasefire in Gaza and said there was a need for \u201ca process that leads to sustained peace for Israelis and Palestinians, based on a two-state solution.\u201d
\n\u201cThis is the only way to stem the suffering and prevent a spillover that could send the entire region up in flames.\u201d
\nThe UN chief said also that geopolitical divisions played a major role in the faltering global economy and that economic insecurity was exacerbated by political instability.
\nDespite the challenges, Guterres expressed hope for the future.
\n\u201cI am confident we can build a new, multipolar global order with new opportunities for leadership, balance and justice in international relations,\u201d he said.
\nBut to avoid a \u201cslide into chaos,\u201d it was vital that the world had strong multilateral institutions and frameworks, as well as effective mechanisms for global governance.
\n\u201cWithout them, further fragmentation is inevitable and the consequences are clear,\u201d he said.
\nGuterres attributed the crisis in trust to the collapse of global norms.
\n\u201cI am personally shocked by the systematic undermining of principles and standards we used to take for granted,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cI am outraged that so many countries and companies are pursuing their own narrow interests without any consideration for our shared future or the common good. I am certain that unless we take action, we can expect much, much worse.\u201d
\nRebuilding global trust required \u201cdeep reforms to global governance to manage geopolitical tensions during a new era of multipolarity\u201d so we could build \u201ca safer, more stable, more prosperous world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2018Little wonder\u2019 people are losing faith in governments: Antonio Guterres DAVOS Geopolitical divides are hampering efforts to tackle issues like the climate crisis and unregulated developments in artificial intelligence, the UN secretary-general said on Wednesday. In his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Antonio Guterres said that while the worsening climate crisis and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":381498,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-381486","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n