UN Chief Urges Global Unity to Address Pressing Challenges

UN chief urges divided nations to approve blueprint to address global challenges from climate to AI

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The United Nations chief urged the world's divided nations on Wednesday to compromise and approve a blueprint to address global challenges from conflicts and climate change to artificial intelligence and reforming the U.N. and global financial institutions. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that discussions on the "Pact of the Future" are in their final stretch and failure to reach the required consensus among all 193 U.N. member nations "would be tragic." A year ago, Guterres sounded an alarm about the survival of humanity and the planet and summoned world leaders to a Summit of the Future at their global gathering this year to unite and take action to reform the U.N. and other institutions established after World War II and address new global threats. It is taking place Sunday and Monday, just before Tuesday's start of the annual high-level meeting at the U.N. General Assembly. Negotiations on the 30-page pact, now in its fourth revision, have been taking place for months, and in recent interviews and at Wednesday's press conference the secretary-general has faced questions about its lack of vision, and what is different from U.N. documents adopted in recent years that haven't been implemented. "It's very simple," the U.N. chief replied. All the previous "extraordinary, important declarations" were about what is needed to meet the challenges of the 21st century, he said. The Summit of the Future is about implementing those challenges, which requires reform of global institutions established after World War II including the United Nations. Guterres stressed that in every area -- from climate to AI -- "there is a serious problem of governance," and that's what the Summit of the Future is about. The draft Pact of the Future says world leaders are gathering "at a time of profound global transformation," and it warns of "rising catastrophic and existential risks" that could tip people everywhere "into a future of persistent crisis and breakdown." But the draft says leaders are coming to the U.N. "to protect the needs and interests of present and future generations through actions in the Pact for the Future." It includes 51 actions on issues including eradicating poverty, combating climate change, achieving gender equality, promoting peace and protecting civilians, and reinvigorating the multilateral system to "seize the opportunities of today and tomorrow." Guterres pointed to "potential breakthroughs" in the pact including "the strongest language on Security Council reform in a generation," and the most concrete steps to enlarging the powerful 15-member body since 1963. He also cited the first measures to govern new technologies including Artificial Intelligence, a "major advance" in reforming international financial institutions, and a commitment to multiply resources for developing countries to meet U.N. development goals by 2030. Urging member states to get the Pact of the Future "over the finish line," Guterres said, "We can't create a future fit for our grandchildren with systems built for our grandparents." U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters Tuesday that a priority for the Biden administration at this year's Summit of the Future is "to create a more inclusive and effective international system." She said the Group of 77 which now represents 134 developing countries at the U.N., the 27-member European Union and the United States all agreed to the fourth revision of the Pact of the Future. But the U.S. ambassador said Russia objected to about 15 different issues, Saudi Arabia had problems with the climate language, and other countries objected to the language on reforming the international financial institutions including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.. "I do think the Summit of the Future will make a difference," Thomas-Greenfield said. "There are still some major differences. ... But I am still hopeful that we will get there."

UN chief urges divided nations to approve blueprint to address global challenges from climate to AI

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The United Nations chief urged the world's divided nations on Wednesday to compromise and approve a blueprint to address global challenges from conflicts and climate change to artificial intelligence and reforming the U.N. and global financial institutions. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that discussions on the "Pact of the Future" are in their final stretch and failure to reach the required consensus among all 193 U.N. member nations "would be tragic." A year ago, Guterres sounded an alarm about the survival of humanity and the planet and summoned world leaders to a Summit of the Future at their global gathering this year to unite and take action to reform the U.N. and other institutions established after World War II and address new global threats. It is taking place Sunday and Monday, just before Tuesday's start of the annual high-level meeting at the U.N. General Assembly. Negotiations on the 30-page pact, now in its fourth revision, have been taking place for months, and in recent interviews and at Wednesday's press conference the secretary-general has faced questions about its lack of vision, and what is different from U.N. documents adopted in recent years that haven't been implemented. "It's very simple," the U.N. chief replied. All the previous "extraordinary, important declarations" were about what is needed to meet the challenges of the 21st century, he said. The Summit of the Future is about implementing those challenges, which requires reform of global institutions established after World War II including the United Nations. Guterres stressed that in every area -- from climate to AI -- "there is a serious problem of governance," and that's what the Summit of the Future is about. The draft Pact of the Future says world leaders are gathering "at a time of profound global transformation," and it warns of "rising catastrophic and existential risks" that could tip people everywhere "into a future of persistent crisis and breakdown." But the draft says leaders are coming to the U.N. "to protect the needs and interests of present and future generations through actions in the Pact for the Future." It includes 51 actions on issues including eradicating poverty, combating climate change, achieving gender equality, promoting peace and protecting civilians, and reinvigorating the multilateral system to "seize the opportunities of today and tomorrow." Guterres pointed to "potential breakthroughs" in the pact including "the strongest language on Security Council reform in a generation," and the most concrete steps to enlarging the powerful 15-member body since 1963. He also cited the first measures to govern new technologies including Artificial Intelligence, a "major advance" in reforming international financial institutions, and a commitment to multiply resources for developing countries to meet U.N. development goals by 2030. Urging member states to get the Pact of the Future "over the finish line," Guterres said, "We can't create a future fit for our grandchildren with systems built for our grandparents." U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters Tuesday that a priority for the Biden administration at this year's Summit of the Future is "to create a more inclusive and effective international system." She said the Group of 77 which now represents 134 developing countries at the U.N., the 27-member European Union and the United States all agreed to the fourth revision of the Pact of the Future. But the U.S. ambassador said Russia objected to about 15 different issues, Saudi Arabia had problems with the climate language, and other countries objected to the language on reforming the international financial institutions including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.. "I do think the Summit of the Future will make a difference," Thomas-Greenfield said. "There are still some major differences. ... But I am still hopeful that we will get there."

UN chief urges divided nations to approve blueprint to address global challenges from climate to AI

UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations chief urged the world's divided nations on Wednesday to compromise and approve a blueprint to address global challenges from conflicts and climate change to artificial intelligence and reforming the U.N. and global financial institutions. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that discussions on the "Pact of the Future" are in their final stretch and failure to reach the required consensus among all 193 U.N. member nations "would be tragic." A year ago, Guterres sounded an alarm about the survival of humanity and the planet and summoned world leaders to a Summit of the Future at their global gathering this year to unite and take action to reform the U.N. and other institutions established after World War II and address new global threats. It is taking place Sunday and Monday, just before Tuesday's start of the annual high-level meeting at the U.N. General Assembly. Negotiations on the 30-page pact, now in its fourth revision, have been taking place for months, and in recent interviews and at Wednesday's press conference the secretary-general has faced questions about its lack of vision, and what is different from U.N. documents adopted in recent years that haven't been implemented. "It's very simple," the U.N. chief replied. All the previous "extraordinary, important declarations" were about what is needed to meet the challenges of the 21st century, he said. The Summit of the Future is about implementing those challenges, which requires reform of global institutions established after World War II including the United Nations. Guterres stressed that in every area -- from climate to AI -- "there is a serious problem of governance," and that's what the Summit of the Future is about. The draft Pact of the Future says world leaders are gathering "at a time of profound global transformation," and it warns of "rising catastrophic and existential risks" that could tip people everywhere "into a future of persistent crisis and breakdown." But the draft says leaders are coming to the U.N. "to protect the needs and interests of present and future generations through actions in the Pact for the Future." It includes 51 actions on issues including eradicating poverty, combating climate change, achieving gender equality, promoting peace and protecting civilians, and reinvigorating the multilateral system to "seize the opportunities of today and tomorrow." Guterres pointed to "potential breakthroughs" in the pact including "the strongest language on Security Council reform in a generation," and the most concrete steps to enlarging the powerful 15-member body since 1963. He also cited the first measures to govern new technologies including Artificial Intelligence, a "major advance" in reforming international financial institutions, and a commitment to multiply resources for developing countries to meet U.N. development goals by 2030. Urging member states to get the Pact of the Future "over the finish line," Guterres said, "We can't create a future fit for our grandchildren with systems built for our grandparents." U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters Tuesday that a priority for the Biden administration at this year's Summit of the Future is "to create a more inclusive and effective international system." She said the Group of 77 which now represents 134 developing countries at the U.N., the 27-member European Union and the United States all agreed to the fourth revision of the Pact of the Future. But the U.S. ambassador said Russia objected to about 15 different issues, Saudi Arabia had problems with the climate language, and other countries objected to the language on reforming the international financial institutions including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.. "I do think the Summit of the Future will make a difference," Thomas-Greenfield said. "There are still some major differences. ... But I am still hopeful that we will get there."

UN Chief Urges Divided Nations to Approve Blueprint to Address Global Challenges From Climate to AI

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The United Nations chief urged the world's divided nations on Wednesday to compromise and approve a blueprint to address global challenges from conflicts and climate change to artificial intelligence and reforming the U.N. and global financial institutions. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that discussions on the "Pact of the Future" are in their final stretch and failure to reach the required consensus among all 193 U.N. member nations "would be tragic." A year ago, Guterres sounded an alarm about the survival of humanity and the planet and summoned world leaders to a Summit of the Future at their global gathering this year to unite and take action to reform the U.N. and other institutions established after World War II and address new global threats. It is taking place Sunday and Monday, just before Tuesday's start of the annual high-level meeting at the U.N. General Assembly. Negotiations on the 30-page pact, now in its fourth revision, have been taking place for months, and in recent interviews and at Wednesday's press conference the secretary-general has faced questions about its lack of vision, and what is different from U.N. documents adopted in recent years that haven't been implemented. "It's very simple," the U.N. chief replied. All the previous "extraordinary, important declarations" were about what is needed to meet the challenges of the 21st century, he said. The Summit of the Future is about implementing those challenges, which requires reform of global institutions established after World War II including the United Nations. Guterres stressed that in every area -- from climate to AI -- "there is a serious problem of governance," and that's what the Summit of the Future is about. The draft Pact of the Future says world leaders are gathering "at a time of profound global transformation," and it warns of "rising catastrophic and existential risks" that could tip people everywhere "into a future of persistent crisis and breakdown." But the draft says leaders are coming to the U.N. "to protect the needs and interests of present and future generations through actions in the Pact for the Future." It includes 51 actions on issues including eradicating poverty, combating climate change, achieving gender equality, promoting peace and protecting civilians, and reinvigorating the multilateral system to "seize the opportunities of today and tomorrow." Guterres pointed to "potential breakthroughs" in the pact including "the strongest language on Security Council reform in a generation," and the most concrete steps to enlarging the powerful 15-member body since 1963. He also cited the first measures to govern new technologies including Artificial Intelligence, a "major advance" in reforming international financial institutions, and a commitment to multiply resources for developing countries to meet U.N. development goals by 2030. Urging member states to get the Pact of the Future "over the finish line," Guterres said, "We can't create a future fit for our grandchildren with systems built for our grandparents." U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters Tuesday that a priority for the Biden administration at this year's Summit of the Future is "to create a more inclusive and effective international system." She said the Group of 77 which now represents 134 developing countries at the U.N., the 27-member European Union and the United States all agreed to the fourth revision of the Pact of the Future. But the U.S. ambassador said Russia objected to about 15 different issues, Saudi Arabia had problems with the climate language, and other countries objected to the language on reforming the international financial institutions including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.. "I do think the Summit of the Future will make a difference," Thomas-Greenfield said. "There are still some major differences. ... But I am still hopeful that we will get there." Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

UN chief calls on nations to approve plan to tackle global challenges | BreakingNews.ie

The United Nations chief has urged divided nations to compromise and approve a blueprint to address global challenges from conflicts and climate change to artificial intelligence and reforming the UN and global financial institutions. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters on Wednesday that discussions on the Pact Of The Future are in their final stretch and failure to reach the required consensus among all 193 UN member nations "would be tragic." A year ago, Mr Guterres sounded an alarm about the survival of humanity and the planet. He summoned world leaders to a Summit Of The Future to unite and take action to reform the UN and other institutions established after World War II and address new global threats. The global gathering is taking place on Sunday and Monday, just before Tuesday's start of the annual high-level meeting at the UN General Assembly. Negotiations on the 30-page pact, now in its fourth revision, have been taking place for months, and in recent interviews and at Wednesday's press conference the secretary-general has faced questions about its lack of vision, and what is different from UN documents adopted in recent years that have not been implemented. "It's very simple," the UN chief replied. All the previous "extraordinary, important declarations" were about what is needed to meet the challenges of the 21st century, he said. The Summit Of The Future is about implementing those challenges, which requires reform of global institutions established after World War II including the United Nations. Mr Guterres stressed that in every area -- from climate to AI -- "there is a serious problem of governance". The draft Pact Of The Future says world leaders are gathering "at a time of profound global transformation" and it warns of "rising catastrophic and existential risks" that could tip people everywhere "into a future of persistent crisis and breakdown". But the draft says leaders are coming to the UN "to protect the needs and interests of present and future generations through actions in the Pact for the Future". It includes 51 actions on issues including eradicating poverty, combating climate change, achieving gender equality, promoting peace and protecting civilians, as well as reinvigorating the multilateral system to "seize the opportunities of today and tomorrow". Mr Guterres pointed to "potential breakthroughs" in the pact including "the strongest language on Security Council reform in a generation" and the most concrete steps to enlarging the powerful 15-member body since 1963. He also cited the first measures to govern new technologies including artificial intelligence, a "major advance" in reforming international financial institutions and a commitment to multiply resources for developing countries to meet UN development goals by 2030. Urging member states to get the Pact of the Future "over the finish line," Mr Guterres said: "We can't create a future fit for our grandchildren with systems built for our grandparents." US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters on Tuesday that a priority for the Biden administration at this year's Summit of the Future is "to create a more inclusive and effective international system". She said the Group of 77, which now represents 134 developing countries at the UN, the 27-member European Union and the United States all agreed to the fourth revision of the Pact Of The Future. But the US ambassador said Russia objected to about 15 different issues, Saudi Arabia had problems with the climate language and other countries objected to the language on reforming the international financial institutions including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. "I do think the Summit Of The Future will make a difference," she said. "There are still some major differences. But I am still hopeful that we will get there."

at the start of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly | United Nations Secretary-General

We are just days away from the Summit of the Future and the opening of the General Debate. Discussions on the outcome of the Summit are in the final stretch. I will not go into the details, but I have one overriding message today: an appeal to Member States for a spirit of compromise. Show the world what we can do, when we work together. Why is this so critical? The Summit of the Future was born out of a cold, hard fact: international challenges are moving faster than our ability to solve them. We see out-of-control geo-political divisions and runaway conflicts - not least in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and beyond. Runaway climate change. Runaway inequalities and debt. Runaway development of new technologies like Artificial Intelligence - without guidance or guardrails. And our institutions simply can't keep up. Crises are interacting and feeding off each other - for example, as digital technologies spread climate disinformation that deepens distrust and fuels polarization. Global institutions and frameworks are today totally inadequate to deal with these complex and even existential challenges. And it's no great surprise. Those institutions were born in a bygone era for a bygone world. So many of the challenges that we face today were not on the radar 80 years ago when our multilateral institutions were born. Our founders understood that times would change. They understood that the values that underpin our global institutions are timeless - but the institutions themselves cannot be frozen in time. The architecture of global problem-solving was never meant to be preserved in amber. The peacebuilders of the 1940s could not have predicted the changes that have swept over humanity over the past eight decades: The independence movements and breathtaking economic and geopolitical rise of many developing countries. The catastrophic consequences of climate change. Space exploration in all its dimensions. The internet, smartphones and social media - all boosted by Artificial Intelligence. Like our founders, we cannot know precisely what the future holds. But we don't need a crystal ball to see that 21st century challenges require problem-solving mechanisms that are more effective, networked and inclusive; That serious power imbalances in global institutions must be adjusted and updated; And that our institutions must draw on the expertise and representation of all of humanity. Change will not happen overnight. But it can start today. And when we look at the work that was already done in preparation for the Summit of the Future, we see potential breakthroughs on a number of important fronts. The strongest language on Security Council reform in a generation - and the most concrete step towards Council enlargement since 1963. The first set of governance measures for new technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, in all their applications -- with the UN at its centre. A major advance in reform of the International Financial Architecture with the most significant language yet strengthening the role of developing countries. A step change in financing the Sustainable Development Goals and a commitment to advance our SDG Stimulus, multiplying the resources available to developing countries. I hope Member States will do everything possible to get the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations over the finish line. We can't create a future fit for our grandchildren with systems built for our grandparents. The Summit of the Future is an essential first step towards making global institutions more legitimate, effective, and fit for the world of today and tomorrow.

ahead of the opening of the 79th High-level session of the the UN General Assembly | United Nations Secretary-General

We are just days away from the Summit of the Future and the opening of the General Debate. Discussions on the outcome of the Summit are in the final stretch. I will not go into the details, but I have one overriding message today: an appeal to Member States for a spirit of compromise. Show the world what we can do, when we work together. Why is this so critical? The Summit of the Future was born out of a cold, hard fact: international challenges are moving faster than our ability to solve them. We see out-of-control geo-political divisions and runaway conflicts - not least in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and beyond. Runaway climate change. Runaway inequalities and debt. Runaway development of new technologies like Artificial Intelligence - without guidance or guardrails. And our institutions simply can't keep up. Crises are interacting and feeding off each other - for example, as digital technologies spread climate disinformation that deepens distrust and fuels polarization. Global institutions and frameworks are today totally inadequate to deal with these complex and even existential challenges. And it's no great surprise. Those institutions were born in a bygone era for a bygone world. So many of the challenges that we face today were not on the radar 80 years ago when our multilateral institutions were born. Our founders understood that times would change. They understood that the values that underpin our global institutions are timeless - but the institutions themselves cannot be frozen in time. The architecture of global problem-solving was never meant to be preserved in amber. The peacebuilders of the 1940s could not have predicted the changes that have swept over humanity over the past eight decades: The independence movements and breathtaking economic and geopolitical rise of many developing countries. The catastrophic consequences of climate change. Space exploration in all its dimensions. The internet, smartphones and social media - all boosted by Artificial Intelligence. Like our founders, we cannot know precisely what the future holds. But we don't need a crystal ball to see that 21st century challenges require problem-solving mechanisms that are more effective, networked and inclusive; That serious power imbalances in global institutions must be adjusted and updated; And that our institutions must draw on the expertise and representation of all of humanity. Change will not happen overnight. But it can start today. And when we look at the work that was already done in preparation for the Summit of the Future, we see potential breakthroughs on a number of important fronts. The strongest language on Security Council reform in a generation - and the most concrete step towards Council enlargement since 1963. The first set of governance measures for new technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, in all their applications -- with the UN at its centre. A major advance in reform of the International Financial Architecture with the most significant language yet strengthening the role of developing countries. A step change in financing the Sustainable Development Goals and a commitment to advance our SDG Stimulus, multiplying the resources available to developing countries. I hope Member States will do everything possible to get the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations over the finish line. We can't create a future fit for our grandchildren with systems built for our grandparents. The Summit of the Future is an essential first step towards making global institutions more legitimate, effective, and fit for the world of today and tomorrow.

'Create A Future Fit For Our Grandchildren', Guterres Urges, Ahead Of Gamechange...

Mr. Guterres was speaking as negotiations for the Summit of the Future, which opens at UN Headquarters on Sunday, enter the final stretch. "I have one overriding message today: an appeal to Member States for a spirit of compromise. Show the world what we can do, when we work together," he said. The two-day Summit of the Future is "an essential first step towards making global institutions more legitimate, effective, and fit for the world of today and tomorrow," Mr. Guterres told journalists. "We can't create a future fit for our grandchildren with systems built for our grandparents," he said, stressing that the Summit "cannot fail". He said work already done in the lead-up reveals "potential breakthroughs on a number of important fronts". This includes "the strongest language on Security Council reform in a generation - and the most concrete step towards Council enlargement since 1963", the first-ever governance measures for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other technologies, and advancements in reforming the international financial architecture. Other items cover financing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and commitment to advance an SDG Stimulus plan to boost support to developing countries. "It would be tragic if all of these would be lost," he warned. Mr. Guterres said the Summit is "so critical" because "international challenges are moving faster than our ability to solve them." He pointed to "out-of-control geo-political divisions and runaway conflicts - not least in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and beyond," in addition to "runaway" climate change, inequalities and debt, and the development of AI and other technologies that lack guidance or guardrails. "Crises are interacting and feeding off each other - for example, as digital technologies spread climate disinformation that deepens distrust and fuels polarization," he said. Meanwhile, multilateral institutions "born in a bygone era for a bygone world" simply cannot keep up. Mr. Guterres said so many of the challenges the world is facing today were not on the radar 80 years ago when these institutions were created. "Our founders understood that times would change," he said. "They understood that the values that underpin our global institutions are timeless - but the institutions themselves cannot be frozen in time." He said the peacebuilders back then could not have predicted the changes that have occurred over the past eight decades. During this time, the world has witnessed independence movements, the economic and geopolitical rise of many developing countries, catastrophic climate consequences, and space exploration, as well as the development of the Internet, smartphones and social media, which are all boosted by AI. "Like our founders, we cannot know precisely what the future holds," he acknowledged. "But we don't need a crystal ball to see that 21stcentury challenges require problem-solving mechanisms that are more effective, networked and inclusive; that serious power imbalances in global institutions must be adjusted and updated; and that our institutions must draw on the expertise and representation of all of humanity." Although change will not happen overnight, "it can start today," he insisted. Member States attending the Summit are expected to adopt a Pact for the Future, with a Global Digital Compact and Declaration on Future Generations annexed to it. Mr. Guterres expressed hope that they will "do everything possible" to get these documents "over the finish line". More than 130 Heads of State and Government are scheduled to attend the Summit of the Future, which is taking place from 22-23 September - just ahead of the annual debate in the UN General Assembly. The Summit will be preceded by two "action days" where non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academics and private sector representatives will engage on the main themes. Reporters asked the Secretary-General how the Summit and its outcome documents will differ from previous UN gatherings, such as the 2016 SDG Summit, which also ended with the adoption of international declarations and pacts. Mr. Guterres responded that while the SDG Summit and other events were "about the what", the Summit of the Future "is about the how", again underlining the essential need to reform decades-old institutions.