Foreign Desk Report
NEW YORK: In his first major speech of the year, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres underlined the need for global cooperation to address today’s challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, while also highlighting UN’s role in promoting the right of self-determination.
The UN chief was speaking on Sunday during a virtual event to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the first meeting of the UN General Assembly, which was held in London. “The General Assembly’s declaration on the granting of independence to colonial peoples in 1960 was a milestone for self-determination,” he said, adding that since the UN was established, more than 80 former colonies have gained their independence.
“The work of the General Assembly has helped to boost global health, literacy, and living standards, and to promote human rights and gender equality,” he said, reflecting on some of its accomplishments since then in the course of his speech which was released at UN Headquarters in New York.
It is the place where UN Member States can peacefully address their differences and find solutions to global challenges, according to the 193-member Assembly’s current President, Volkan Bozkir of Turkey. “Over the past 75 years, we have achieved more together than we could have apart,” he said in a video message for the online commemoration, which was co-hosted by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom.
“As we move into the next 75 years and our world becomes ever more connected, let us tighten those bonds, so we can best protect and deliver for the peoples we serve.” While the international community can be proud of its collective accomplishments, the Secretary-General stressed the need for greater action in the face of pressing issues, including the pandemic.Nearly two million COVID-19 deaths have been reported worldwide as of Sunday, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Secretary-General has frequently spoken of how the crisis has exposed inequalities and fragilities, both within and among countries, including threats to women and girls. It has further highlighted serious gaps in global cooperation and solidarity. “We have seen this most recently in vaccine nationalism, as some rich countries compete to buy vaccines for their own people, with no consideration for the world’s poor,” he said.
Meanwhile, global response to the climate emergency has been “utterly inadequate,” he added.
