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The covid-19 pandemic demonstrated the “fragility” of the world and is being “a great challenge” for everyone, but unfortunately it is “proof” that the international community “is failing”, the UN Secretary General, António Guterres.
“The covid-19 pandemic is a great global challenge, for the entire international community, for multilateralism and for me, as Secretary General of the United Nations. Unfortunately, it is a test that, so far, the international community is failing, “said António Guterres in a written interview with the Lusa agency, on the 4th anniversary of his acclaim by the 193 member states of the Assembly. General for the position of Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), on October 13, 2016.
“More than a million people have already died and more than 30 million have been infected, because there has not been a sufficient level of coordination in the fight against the virus,” emphasized the former Portuguese prime minister.
The UN Secretary General stressed that the current health crisis has “without a shadow of a doubt” shown the fragility of the world today, lamenting the lack of demonstration of “necessary solidarity” with countries that, without support, cannot survive the impact. economic and social impact of the pandemic.
“If firm and coordinated measures are not taken, a microscopic virus could drive millions of people into poverty and hunger, with devastating economic effects in the coming years,” he emphasized.
Speaking to Lusa, António Guterres said he was “proud” of the work done “by the United Nations family” which mobilized to “save lives, control the transmission of the virus and alleviate the economic consequences.”
“We ship equipment to more than 130 countries, in the order of hundreds of millions of units; we provide education to 155 million children and train almost two million health professionals and the community, ”he said.
But despite the severity of the current COVID-19 disease crisis, António Guterres warned that global fragility “is the real challenge” facing the world, and this “goes far beyond the pandemic.”
He listed: “The climate crisis is already wreaking havoc in some countries and regions, and we are not on the right track to implement the Paris Agreement. [sobre as alterações climáticas]. Criminals and terrorists are exploring “gray areas” in cyberspace regulation. The nuclear disarmament regime is weakening and the risk of proliferation increases. Xenophobia and hate speech are poisoning the democratic debate ”.
“Therefore, the pandemic must be a warning sign. The response requires unity and solidarity, which enables a solid recovery based on resilient and sustainable communities and economies, and allows us to face the other serious challenges we face, ”he concluded.
“There is no vaccine to warm the planet”
António Guterres also defends that “the greatest existential challenge” facing the world is the climate crisis, warning, in statements to Lusa, that “there is no vaccine for global warming.”
“The biggest existential challenge we face is the climate crisis. There is no vaccine to warm the planet, ”he said, when asked what the other big challenges were, along with the current pandemic crisis of the new coronavirus, which he has faced since he assumed leadership of the UN in January 2017.
About him dossier change, the Secretary-General stressed that, for the past four years, he has been insisting that leaders around the world seriously commit to the implementation of the Paris Agreement (on climate change) and demonstrate the ambition to go further. , “To avoid a catastrophic rise in global temperatures.”
Signed in December 2015 during the United Nations climate conference (COP21) in the French capital, the main objective of the Paris Agreement is to limit the increase in global average temperature “well below” 2ºC above pre-industrial levels and try to limit the increase to 1.5ºC.
The achievement of this objective is based on the application of measures that limit or reduce the global emission of greenhouse gases, that is, a reduction by 2030 of at least 45% in global emissions compared to 1990 levels and also a neutrality. carbon dioxide before 2050.
“We are doing very little, very late, as the consequences of hurricanes, floods, wildfires and droughts that we have been witnessing demonstrate. We need a radical change to respond more seriously and quickly to what has been done so far, “he continued.
Regarding the Paris Agreement, it should be noted that the United States, one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the world, announced in June 2017 the withdrawal of this climate agreement.
Despite the warnings, António Guterres admitted, however, that he points out that “there are positive signs of change”, “not only at the government level, but also in companies, in cities and by regional leaders.”
“It is critical that COP26, to be held in Glasgow next year, is a success and that all of our efforts are guided by science,” he said.
The 26th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26), which aimed to relaunch the Paris Agreement (after the announcement of the US withdrawal), was scheduled for this year in Glasgow (Scotland, United Kingdom), but to cause of the pandemic, and like other international meetings, it has been postponed and is scheduled for November 2021.
Guterres acknowledges “enormous frustration” over the international “lack of unity”
The UN Secretary General also acknowledges that he has “enormous frustration” motivated by the “lack of unity” of the international community to seek “coherent solutions” to the many global challenges, including conflicts.
“For me, the lack of unity of the international community in seeking coherent solutions to major global challenges, including but not limited to the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, is a source of enormous frustration,” he said .
These conflicts, which, according to the official, stressed “are a source of suffering for millions of people in war zones” and “are the origin of a record number of people who are forced to leave their homes as refugees and internally displaced persons.” .
“In the interconnected world we live in, there is an urgent need to recognize an essential truth: by showing solidarity, we also look out for our own interests! We all lose when this reality is ignored ”, he reinforced.
And he argued that the continuation of conflicts in various parts of the world “generates instability, accentuates fragility and increases all kinds of risks”, including extremism and global terrorism, which “are a threat to everyone.”
Stating that it is not his place to list all that has been achieved so far during the mandate, Guterres said, however, that some progress has been made in reorienting the international organization’s work in the area of peace and security around to conflict prevention.
“It is difficult to demonstrate the success of prevention, but I am convinced that there have been several occasions in which our efforts have helped alleviate crises, avoid potential situations of violence and save lives,” he said.
Still on the conflicts, the UN Secretary General said he was “encouraged” by the fact that the call for a global ceasefire, which he launched in March this year as part of the fight against the pandemic, included the support from around 180 member states. members of the organization, by more than 20 armed movements and by hundreds of civil and regional organizations.
“We are determined to continue working on this goal until the end of the year to be able to focus on our common enemy: the covid-19 pandemic,” he emphasized.
Regarding other areas of action, he also mentioned his “Call to Action” in the field of human rights, the disarmament agenda that he proposed and the efforts he made to promote cooperation in digital technology.
But other calls were launched by the UN Secretary General, as was the case, as mentioned by the representative, for a “new Social Contract”, “based on a new generation of social protection programs” with the aim of promoting “societies with greater equality, more inclusive and more sustainable ”, or a“ New Global Compact ”, with the aim of“ a fair globalization, based on the rights and dignity of every human being, in coexistence in balance with nature, and responsibilities towards future generations ”.
Gender equality issues are other issues mentioned by the official.
“I am pleased to note that, during my tenure as Secretary-General, gender parity has been achieved among all senior UN officials. It is not just about ensuring equal opportunities for women; parity is essential to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the action of the United Nations. Our team must be representative of the universe of the people we serve ”, he emphasized.
António Guterres granted this interview, in writing, to Lusa, a few days after four years after his acclamation by the UN General Assembly for the position of secretary general of that organization., a role that he would assume a few months later, in Janeiro of 2017.
Former Portuguese Prime Minister and ex-high The UN Refugee Commissioner was acclaimed by the UN General Assembly after an important and decisive recommendation from the Security Council adopted on October 6.
On January 1, 2017, he succeeded South Korean Ban Ki-moon, who served two terms at the head of the international organization (2007-2016), and became the ninth UN Secretary General for a five-year term. until December 31, 2021.
