UN Secretary-General António Guterres gave an overview of the organization’s activities in 2022 at the UN’s year-end press conference on Monday, highlighting key issues that have impacted global space that year and proposed solutions. I checked.
“Our world has faced many trials and tribulations in 2022, some familiar and some unimaginable just a year ago,” Guiteles said of the year’s highlights. showed. “There may be many reasons for despair. Geopolitical divisions are making global problem solving more difficult, and sometimes impossible, than ever before.”
Guterres acknowledged that 2022 was fraught with many challenges, including geopolitical divisions, cost of living crises, gender inequality, debt repayments and poverty.
“The cost of living crisis is deepening and inequality is rising, with the greatest impact on women and girls in the world. Staring into the abyss of default. This year alone, their debt service has surged 35%, the biggest increase in decades. The poor are getting poorer,” he said.
He further commented on the COP15 United Nations Biodiversity Conference, the role of the African Union in brokering peace in Ethiopia that led to the cessation of hostilities and the implementation of the agreement, and the solutions the United Nations has provided to problems that have affected the world. talked about Resolution of the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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“Delegates to the COP15 United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Montreal have agreed on a new Global Biodiversity Framework. We are finally starting to build a peace pact with nature. It’s an important step and I urge all countries to make it happen, and we’re also seeing some progress that will help address some of the world’s escalating conflicts, although unfortunately not all. .”
“Anyway, more must be done in all circumstances. But diplomacy has helped pull some conflicts off the brink. In Ethiopia, the African Union’s efforts to broker peace These are reasons for hope: A cessation of hostilities and an implementation agreement is in place A path to assistance in the north of the country is emerging In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, led by Angola and the East African Community Diplomatic efforts have created a framework for political dialogue to resolve the crisis in the eastern region of the country,” he said.
Guterres also spoke about the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on global food security and the UN’s efforts to ensure a stable supply of grain and fertilizer from Ukraine to global markets.
“And even in the brutal war in Ukraine, we have seen the power of resolute and prudent diplomacy to help people and tackle unprecedented levels of global food insecurity. , the Black Sea Grains Initiative to promote food and fertilizer exports from Ukraine and the Memorandum of Understanding for the unhindered export of Russia’s food and fertilizers to the world market are making a difference.
“More than 14 million tons of grain and other foodstuffs were shipped from Ukrainian Black Sea ports. Russian wheat exports also tripled. shipped to the country.
This includes about 380,000 tons transported by the World Food Program to support ongoing humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen,” Guterres said.
He acknowledged the Food and Agriculture Organization’s efforts to reduce global poverty by 15%.
“And the FAO Food Price Index has fallen by about 15% for the eighth straight month, keeping millions of people around the world from slipping into extreme poverty,” he said.
On what to expect in the coming year, Guterres said that even though solutions have been provided to many of the problems that have arisen this year, some problems still remain and a lot of work still needs to be done. said.
“But there is still much work to be done. Prices are still too high and access to fertilizer is still very limited. We are working around the clock to support the full implementation of these initiatives. We will continue our efforts to clarify food and fertilizer exemptions within various sanctions regimes, address indirect constraints and work to increase the efficiency of the implementation of the Black Sea Grains Initiative. amount of cargo carried.”
“And we will show no mercy in the pursuit of peace in Ukraine. Peace in line with international law and the UN Charter. Climate change is another area where good news is hard to find. “The global emissions gap is widening. The 1.5 degree target is stifling. National climate planning is woefully inadequate,” he said.
He concluded by inviting world leaders to attend another Climate Ambition Conference in 2023. He described it as a “nonsense summit” and finally expressed his determination to make 2023 a year of peace and action.
Today, I am announcing that the Climate Ambition Summit will take place in September 2023. I call on all leaders – governments, businesses, cities and regions, civil society, finance – to take action. New, concrete and credible climate action must be taken to accelerate the pace of change. Entry has a price, and entry is non-negotiable. We must address the urgency of the climate crisis and present credible, serious and new climate solutions and nature-based solutions that move the needle forward. It’s going to be a nonsense summit,” he said.
“We are more determined than ever to make 2023 a year of peace, a year of action,” Guterres said.
