Antonio Guterres

UNGA new prez calls for unity to tackle all kinds of borderless issue

Cameroon's former prime minister took over the presidency of the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, issuing a clarion call to the world's divided nations to come together and take action to address global challenges from climate change and poverty to conflicts and armed violence. Philemon Yang told the 193-member world body there are doubts that nations can join forces to tackle these and other pressing issues. But he said: We must demonstrate that international cooperation remains the most effective tool at our disposal for addressing the profound and borderless issues we confront. Yang, a former diplomat who was prime minister of his West African nation from 2009 to 2019, said the cornerstone of his one-year presidency will be built on the principles of unity in diversity. He said peace and security will continue to be of paramount importance during his presidency. This is why, I will urge the assembly to intensify its determination to prioritize the resolution of conflicts, ...

UN chief warns Africa's inadequate access to debt relief risks unrest

Zambia in June became the first country to successfully restructure its debt through the scheme

Rising seas 'worldwide catastrophe' affecting Pacific paradises: UN chief

Highlighting seas that are rising at an accelerating rate, especially in the far more vulnerable Pacific island nations, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued yet another climate SOS to the world. This time he said those initials stand for save our seas. The United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization Monday issued reports on worsening sea level rise, turbocharged by a warming Earth and melting ice sheets and glaciers. They highlight how the Southwestern Pacific is not only hurt by the rising oceans, but by other climate change effects of ocean acidification and marine heat waves. Guterres toured Samoa and Tonga and made his climate plea from Tonga's capital on Tuesday at a meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum, whose member countries are among those most imperiled by climate change. This is a crazy situation, Guterres said. Rising seas are a crisis entirely of humanity's making. A crisis that will soon swell to an almost unimaginable scale, with no ..

UN Chief calls for parliamentary election in B'desh, urges govt's inclusion

Bangladesh is experiencing a volatile political situation, after Sheikh Hasina resigned from the post of Prime Minister on August 5 amid mounting protests

UN chief welcomes efforts to restore calm, organise elections in B'desh

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed efforts of Bangladesh's interim government to restore calm and organise parliamentary elections in the country, urging the inclusion of women as well as minority communities in the process. In a statement issued on Monday by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Guterres said he stands in full solidarity with the people of Bangladesh and calls for the full respect of their human rights. Guterres urged Bangladesh's interim government led by 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to continue to make every effort in the coming weeks to be inclusive, including by taking into account the voices of women, youth, and people across the country, as well as that of minority and indigenous communities, as the country moves towards parliamentary elections. "The Secretary-General welcomes efforts to restore calm and organise parliamentary elections in Bangladesh, with the support of an interim government, the statement ..

UN chief pushes for Security Council reforms, permanent seat for Africa

In a high-level debate on Monday, United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, addressing Security Council said that the composition of the UNSC has failed to keep pace with a changing world

We stand against racially based attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh: UN

Amid violence against the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh, a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he stands against any racially based attacks or incitement to violence. What we've made clear is we want to make sure that the violence that has been occurring in Bangladesh in recent weeks is tamped down. Certainly, we stand against any racially based attacks or racially based incitement to violence, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said here on Thursday. He was responding to a question on the Secretary-General's reaction to attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. Several Hindu temples, households and businesses have been vandalised, and at least two Hindu leaders affiliated with former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party have been killed in the violence since Monday, when Hasina resigned and fled to India. Since Hasina fled the country, media reports from Bangladesh have flagged more and mo

UN Chief Antonio Guterres expresses concern over violence in Bangladesh

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following the developments in Bangladesh very closely and is deeply concerned by the ongoing violence, his spokesperson has said, urging authorities in Dhaka to work with its young population and find solutions to the ongoing challenges. Violent protests erupted in Bangladesh over quotas in the allocation of government jobs. Turning to the situation in Bangladesh, I can tell you that we are, of course, following the developments in the capital, Dhaka, and other places in Bangladesh very closely, and we continue to call for restraint from all sides, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said at the daily press briefing Thursday. The UN chief urged the Bangladesh Government to ensure a conducive environment for dialogue and encouraged protesters to engage in dialogue to resolve the deadlock. Violence is never a solution, Dujarric said, adding that the Secretary-General encourages meaningful and constructive participation o

UN Secy-Gen Antonio Guterres calls for global unity, action at SCO Summit

He urged stronger commitments from developed countries and innovative financing mechanisms to support climate action

UN unveils 'Global Principles' to combat online misinformation, hate speech

The UN chief Antonio Guterres said the threats to information integrity are not new but are now spreading at unprecedented speeds due to digital platforms and AI

With roots in India, Yoga unites people with its values: UN chief

Yoga has roots in India and is now embraced globally, uniting people with its values of balance, mindfulness and peace, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said. In his message on the 10th International Yoga Day, Guterres urged people to be inspired by the ancient practice's timeless values and its call for a more peaceful and harmonious future. In December 2014, the UN proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga, recognising its universal appeal. The draft UN General Assembly resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states. The International Day of Yoga recognises the ancient practice's unmatched power to deliver healing, inner peace and physical, spiritual and mental well-being, Guterres said in his message on Friday as the world celebrated the 10th International Yoga Day. With roots in India but now embraced worldwide by people of all faiths and cultures, Yoga unites people with its values of ..

Israel accused of killing own citizens in 'Hannibal Directive'. What is it?

Israeli forces allegedly applied the so-called 'Hannibal Directive' and killed at least 14 Israeli civilians during the October 7 Hamas attack, claims a recent UN-backed inquiry

Energy firms are 'godfathers of climate chaos', should be taxed more: UN

UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres called Wednesday for a windfall tax on profits of fossil fuel companies to help pay for the fight against global warming, calling them the godfathers of climate chaos. Guterres spoke in a bid to revive the world's focus on climate change at a time when elections, inflation and conflict in places like Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan have seized the spotlight. In a speech timed for World Environment Day, the UN chief drew on new data and projections to make a case against Big Oil. The European Union's Copernicus service, a global reference for tracking world temperatures, said that last month was the hottest May ever, marking the 12th straight monthly record high. The service cited an average surface air temperature of 15.9 Celsius (60.6 Fahrenheit) last month or 1.52 degrees Celsius higher than the estimated May average before industrial times. The burning of fossil fuels oil, gas and coal is the main contributor to global warming caused by human ...

Indian official takes over as spl rep of UN chief for disaster risk cut

A top Indian official, Kamal Kishore, has started his term as a special representative of UN chief Antonio Guterres for disaster risk reduction. On March 28, Kishore, 55, was appointed by Guterres as his special representative for disaster risk reduction. Kishore was earlier with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). He succeeds Mami Mizutori of Japan at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). The UNDRR welcomed on May 20 the arrival of Kishore, who started his term as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Head of UNDRR, the office said in a statement on Thursday. Kishore said that the UNDRR plays an important role in drawing together global efforts to reduce disaster risks in the face of increasing vulnerabilities, and said he was looking forward to building on the progress made to date. "UNDRR's ambition matches the scale of the problem," he said. He commended the leadership of the .

Israel-Hamas conflict: Indian personnel working with UN killed in Rafah

An Indian personnel working with the United Nations was killed in Gaza when the vehicle he was travelling in came under attack in Rafah, making it the first international casualty for the organisation since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The individual was a staff member of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS). While the identity of the victim has not yet been revealed, sources confirmed to PTI he was from India and a former Indian Army personnel. The Indian personnel killed in Rafah is the first casualty" among international UN staff in Gaza since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict following the October 7 terror attacks. Another DSS staffer was injured in the incident when their UN vehicle was struck as they travelled to the European Hospital in Rafah. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer when ..

World cannot afford another war, says Guterres on Iran's attack on Israel

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned the serious escalation caused by the large-scale attack on Israel by Iran, cautioning that neither the region nor the world can afford another war. The UN chief urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East. I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran this evening. I call for an immediate cessation of these hostilities, Guterres said in a statement on Saturday. He said he is deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war, he said. The Permanent Mission of Iran to the UN informed the UN Security Council in a letter that Iran carried out a series of military strikes on Israeli military objectives in the late

Guterres decries violence in Myanmar as military strikes kill 25 Rohingyas

Military airstrikes in western Myanmar killed at least 25 members of the country's Muslim Rohingya minority, including children, local media reported, prompting the UN chief to express concerns over the escalating violence. According to the reports, the airstrikes took place early on Monday morning and targeted the village of Thada, north of Minbya township in Rakhine state. The strikes also left another 25 people wounded. The military government had no immediate comment on the reports. UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres expressed deep concern over "the deteriorating situation and escalation of conflict in Myanmar", according to a spokesperson. The UN chief "condemns all forms of violence and reiterates his call for the protection of civilians, including aid workers in accordance with international humanitarian law, for the cessation of hostilities, and humanitarian access," said Guterres' deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq, in a statement on Monday. Myanmar's military is increasing

Climate chaos, food crises could threaten global peace: UN chief Guterres

The United Nations chief warned Tuesday that climate chaos and food crises are increasing threats to global peace, telling a high-level U.N. meeting that climate disasters imperil food production and empty bellies fuel unrest. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the UN Security Council to address the impact of food shortages and rising temperatures on international peace and security a view echoed by many countries but not Russia. Climate and conflict are two leading drivers of (our) global food crisis, the secretary-general said. Where wars rage, hunger reigns whether due to displacement of people, destruction of agriculture, damage to infrastructure, or deliberate policies of denial. Meanwhile, climate chaos is imperiling food production the world over, he said. Guterres said the world is teeming with examples of the devastating relationship between hunger and conflict. In war-torn Gaza, he said, no one has enough to eat and the tiny strip accounts for 80% of the 700,000

UN Secretary General Guterres following Pak polls situation very closely

In the wake of the general elections in Pakistan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following the situation in the country very closely and has urged the authorities and political leaders to refrain from violence and avoid actions that could increase tensions. Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, made these remarks at the daily press briefing here on Monday. On the elections in Pakistan, I can tell you that he is indeed following the situation very closely and continuing to monitor the situation following the general elections, Dujarric said while responding to a question on the Secretary-General's reaction to the outcome of last week's election in Pakistan. Guterres calls for resolving all issues and disputes through the established legal frameworks and for human rights and the rule of law to be fully respected in the interest of the people of Pakistan. The Secretary-General urges the authorities, and political leaders to maintain a calm atmosphere and

Israel's rejection of two-state solution threatens global peace: UN chief

The United Nations chief warned Israel on Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's rejection of a two-state solution will indefinitely prolong a conflict that is threatening global peace and emboldening extremists everywhere. In his toughest language yet on the Israeli-Hamas war, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council that the right of the Palestinian people to build their own fully independent state must be recognised by all, and a refusal to accept the two-state solution by any party must be firmly rejected. The alternative of a one-state solution with such a large number of Palestinians inside without any real sense of freedom, rights and dignity will be inconceivable, he said. Guterres also warned that the risks of regional escalation of the conflict are now becoming a reality, pointing to Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Pakistan. He urged all parties to step back from the brink and to consider the horrendous costs of a