NEW YORK: United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday raised five alarms for the world for 2022, Xinhua news agency reported.
“I want to begin the year by raising five alarms -- on Covid-19, global finance, climate action, lawlessness in cyberspace, and peace and security,“ he told the UN General Assembly in a briefing on his priorities for 2022.
“We face a 5-alarm global fire that requires the full mobilisation of all countries.”
Guterres noted Covid-19 continues to upend lives, plans and hopes.
“The only certainty is more uncertainty. Meanwhile, inequalities are growing. Inflation is rising. The climate crisis, pollution and biodiversity loss rage on. The world faces a cauldron of political unrest and ferocious conflicts. Mistrust among world powers is reaching fever pitch. And the information superhighway is clogged with hatred and lies, giving oxygen to the worst impulses of humanity,” he added.
He highlighted that all the challenges are, at heart, failures of global governance.
“From global health to digital technology, many of today’s multilateral frameworks are outdated and no longer fit for purpose.
“They do not protect critical global public goods that are intended to support humanity’s well-being -- from the global economy and finance systems to the health of our planet. Nor are multilateral frameworks delivering on our common aspirations for peace, sustainable development, human rights and dignity for all.”
“We all know this. Now is not the time to simply list and lament challenges. Now is the time to act,“ said Guterres. — Bernama
