'Our World Is Heading Off The Rails': UN Sec.-Gen António Guterres Addresses UN Summit Of The Future

Forbes Breaking News

22 Sept 202411:55

Summary

TLDRUnited Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the General Assembly, emphasizing the urgent need for multilateralism and reform. He calls for deep reforms to global institutions to address 21st-century challenges, including conflicts, climate crisis, and technological advancements. Guterres highlights the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations as steps towards more inclusive and effective international cooperation.

Takeaways

🌐 **Reinvigorating Multilateralism**: The summit aims to revitalize global cooperation and multilateralism to address contemporary challenges.
🔄 **21st Century Solutions**: Calls for frameworks that are networked, inclusive, and leverage collective human expertise to tackle modern issues.
🌍 **Global Challenges**: Acknowledges that current global challenges, such as conflicts, climate change, and inequality, require urgent and effective solutions.
🛑 **Conflict and Security**: Emphasizes the need to address ongoing conflicts and the threats to the collective security system due to geopolitical divides and new weapons.
💸 **Economic Inequality**: Highlights the plight of developing countries in debt and the lack of a global response to economic and environmental crises.
🌿 **Climate Crisis**: Stresses the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, which is causing widespread destruction and displacement.
📈 **Reform of International Institutions**: Advocates for reforms in institutions like the UN Security Council to reflect current global realities and enhance their credibility.
🤝 **Global Digital Compact**: Introduces a universal agreement on AI governance and the establishment of an independent international scientific panel on AI.
🌱 **Sustainable Development Goals**: Commits to accelerating sustainable development and a just transition away from fossil fuels to secure a livable future.
👥 **Inclusive Decision Making**: Recognizes the importance of including youth and civil society in decision-making processes at all levels.
🏛️ **Future Generations**: Echoes the UN Charter's call to consider the interests of future generations in current decisions, promoting respect for human rights and gender equality.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the summit mentioned in the script?
-The main purpose of the summit is to bring multilateralism back from the brink and consider deep reforms to make global institutions more legitimate, fair, and effective based on the values of the UN Charter.
Why did the Secretary-General call for this Summit?
-The Secretary-General called for this Summit because 21st-century challenges require 21st-century solutions, frameworks that are networked and inclusive, and that draw on the expertise of all of humanity.
What are the current global issues that the script highlights?
-The script highlights ongoing conflicts, geopolitical divides, nuclear posturing, new weapons development, resource misallocation towards death and destruction, inequality hindering sustainable development, and the climate crisis.
How does the script describe the current state of the United Nations Security Council?
-The script describes the United Nations Security Council as outdated, with its authority eroding, and in need of reform regarding its composition and working methods to maintain credibility.
What is the significance of the 'PCT for the future' mentioned in the script?
-The 'PCT for the future' is significant as it represents major progress towards groundbreaking reforms of the International Financial architecture, making institutions more representative and capable of responding to today's challenges.
What commitments does the 'Global Digital Compact' include?
-The 'Global Digital Compact' includes the first truly universal agreement on the international governance of artificial intelligence, commits to establishing an independent international scientific panel on AI, and initiates a global dialogue on its governance within the United Nations.
How does the script emphasize the importance of including future generations in decision-making?
-The script emphasizes the importance of including future generations by committing governments to taking the interests of descendants into account in today's decisions and echoing the call of the United Nations Charter to save succeeding generations from the scurge of war.
What are the three historic agreements mentioned in the script?
-The three historic agreements mentioned are the PCT for the future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on future Generations.
What actions does the Secretary-General challenge the attendees to take?
-The Secretary-General challenges the attendees to prioritize dialogue and negotiation, end ongoing wars, reform the composition and working methods of the Security Council, and accelerate reforms of the international Financial System.
How does the script suggest rebuilding trust among nations?
-The script suggests rebuilding trust by starting from the present and looking toward the future, focusing on actions and their impact on the lives of people that the United Nations serves.
What is the script's overall message regarding the expectations of the United Nations?
-The script conveys that people around the world are hoping for a future of peace, dignity, and prosperity, and they see the United Nations as essential to solving challenges like the climate crisis, inequality, and emerging risks.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Reviving Multilateralism

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, addresses the General Assembly, emphasizing the urgent need to revitalize multilateralism. He acknowledges the efforts of member states and colleagues in striving for deep reforms to make global institutions more legitimate, fair, and effective. The Secretary-General highlights the challenges of the 21st century, such as ongoing conflicts, geopolitical divides, the climate crisis, and the lack of a global response to emerging threats. He stresses the outdated nature of current global institutions, like the United Nations Security Council, and calls for reforms to reflect the realities of today's world. The speech also underscores the importance of inclusive frameworks that leverage the expertise of all humanity.

05:01

📜 Pathways to a Sustainable Future

This paragraph discusses the outcomes of the summit, including the PCT for the future, the global digital Compact, and the Declaration on future Generations. These agreements aim to open new pathways for peace and security, address the underrepresentation of certain regions in the Security Council, and lay the foundation for more agile peace-building commissions. They also represent a commitment to nuclear disarmament and the prevention of an arms race in outer space. The agreements are seen as progress towards reforming the international financial architecture to better represent the global economy and provide a safety net for developing countries. The PCT for the future is particularly focused on accelerating sustainable development goals and the Paris Agreement, promoting a just transition away from fossil fuels, and including youth in decision-making processes. The global digital compact emphasizes the benefits of technology for all and the international governance of AI. The Declaration on future Generations calls for considering the interests of future generations in current decisions, with a focus on human rights, cultural diversity, and gender equality.

10:02

🔄 From Agreements to Actions

The final paragraph of the script calls for action following the agreements made during the summit. It emphasizes that the success of these agreements depends on the actions taken and their impact on people's lives. The Secretary-General reflects on his experience as an activist and in nations, highlighting the importance of looking to the future to rebuild trust. He acknowledges the global desire for peace, dignity, and prosperity, and the expectation that the United Nations will play a crucial role in addressing these challenges. The speech concludes by congratulating member states for their part in the summit and urging them to continue working towards the implementation of the agreements, with a focus on dialogue, negotiation, and reform.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡multilateralism

Multilateralism refers to the cooperation among multiple countries to achieve common goals. In the context of the video, it is about reviving international collaboration to address global challenges. The script mentions bringing 'multilateralism back from the brink' and making global institutions more legitimate and effective, indicating a push for countries to work together in a fair and inclusive manner.

💡UN Charter

The UN Charter is the foundational treaty that established the United Nations and sets out its purpose and principles. The video underscores the importance of basing reforms on the values of the UN Charter, which includes promoting peace, security, and cooperation among nations. It is used to emphasize the need for global institutions to align with the principles that the UN was founded on.

💡21st-century challenges

This term refers to the unique and complex problems that the world faces in the modern era, such as climate change, technological advancements, and geopolitical tensions. The script calls for '21st-century solutions' that are networked and inclusive, highlighting the need for innovative approaches to tackle these contemporary issues.

💡geopolitical divides

Geopolitical divides refer to the political, economic, or social divisions among countries or regions. The script mentions that conflicts are raging and multiplying due to such divides, indicating the impact of these divisions on global peace and security. It underscores the need for international cooperation to bridge these divides.

💡sustainable development

Sustainable development aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The script discusses the importance of sustainable development in the context of addressing economic, social, and environmental challenges. It also mentions the need for a 'global safety net' to support developing countries in achieving sustainable development.

💡climate crisis

The climate crisis refers to the critical situation caused by global warming and its environmental, social, and economic impacts. The video script emphasizes the urgency of addressing the 'climate crisis,' which is 'destroying lives, devastating communities, and ravaging economies.' It calls for a just phase-out of fossil fuels to mitigate the crisis.

💡nuclear disarmament

Nuclear disarmament is the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons. The script mentions the first agreed multilateral support for nuclear disarmament in over a decade, indicating a collective effort to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons and promote global security.

💡peace operations

Peace operations refer to various activities undertaken by the international community to promote peace, prevent conflicts, or assist in post-conflict recovery. The video discusses the need for a fundamental review of peace operations to make them fit for the conditions they face, emphasizing the importance of adapting these operations to current global realities.

💡global digital compact

The global digital compact is an initiative aimed at shaping norms and standards for the digital age to ensure technology benefits everyone. The script highlights the compact's role in establishing international governance of artificial intelligence and fostering capacity building on AI in developing countries, showcasing a collective effort to harness technology for global good.

💡future generations

Future generations refer to the people who will live in the time to come after the present generation. The script includes a declaration on future generations, emphasizing the commitment of governments to consider the interests of descendants in their decisions today. This reflects a forward-looking approach to global policy-making that prioritizes long-term sustainability.

💡human rights

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms to which all individuals are entitled. The video script weaves respect for human rights into the agreements discussed, indicating a commitment to uphold these rights in all aspects of global governance. It also mentions the need to remove barriers preventing women and girls from fulfilling their potential, highlighting gender equality as a key human rights issue.

Highlights

Opening of the Summit of the Future by the Secretary General of the United Nations

Emphasis on multilateralism and the need for deep reforms in global institutions

Call for frameworks that are networked, inclusive, and draw on global expertise

Acknowledgment of the world 'evolving off the rails' and the need for tough decisions

Mention of ongoing conflicts and the threat to collective security

Concerns over geopolitical divides, nuclear posturing, and new weapons development

Discussion on the climate crisis and its devastating effects on lives and economies

The inadequacy of current multilateral tools to address today's challenges

The outdated nature of the United Nations Security Council and the need for reform

The International Financial architecture's inability to reflect today's global economy

Introduction of the PCT for the future, the global digital Compact, and the Declaration on future Generations

Promise of breakthrough reforms to make the Security Council more reflective of today's world

Foundations for a more agile peace building commission and review of peace operations

First agreed multilateral support for nuclear disarmament in over a decade

Measures to prevent an arms race in outer space and govern autonomous weapons

Agreements to respond to complex global shocks and promote sustainable development

Commitment to listen to young people and include them in decision-making

The global digital compact's focus on technology benefiting everyone

First Universal agreement on the international governance of artificial intelligence

Declaration on future Generations emphasizing the interests of descendants in today's decisions

Commitment to removing barriers preventing women and girls from fulfilling their potential

Challenge to implement the pact for the future and prioritize dialogue and negotiation

Call to action to reform the composition and working methods of the Security Council

Emphasis on the importance of the United Nations in solving global challenges

Congratulation to member states for their part in setting a course for international cooperation